Twihard with a Vengeance
by Katy M VT
Summary: Sequel to What If Live Free or Twihard.  Set season 2 after Roadkill.  The vampire cure was temporary.  How far will Dean go with his new strength to keep Sam safe?
1. Chapter 1

A/N This is a sequel to What If Live Free or Twihard. You may want to read that first. It takes place a year after that story, so season 2, and I've set it immediately following Roadkill. I don't usually start posting until I am done with a story, or at least have it mapped out in my head. This is a total WIP, I don't even know how it's going to end yet.

Sam and Dean were in another crap hotel sleeping after wrapping up their latest case. It was exactly one year later after Dean had been turned back from a vampire. Unfortunately, they hadn't known the cure had an expiration date.

Dean rolled over and woke up. He was a vampire again. He could feel it. He looked over and saw Sam sleeping in the next bed. His father had told him he would have to save Sam or kill him. He would be in a much better position to save him as a vampire. So much stronger than usual. Sam had been freaking out about going "darkside," but that didn't matter. Dean was only concerned with keeping Sam alive—and with him.

Sam felt like he was being watched and sat up abruptly upon waking. "What's wrong, Dean?" he asked. It was kind of creepy the way his brother was staring at him.

"I was just thinking about that case we just finished. That Farmer Roadkill's wife's body was up in that attic for years," Dean said, devising a plan.

"Yeah, so?"

"We should go back and purify the attic."

"Why?" Their father had always been into the purifying rituals, but Dean had thought they were a waste of time and after a lot of research Sam and Bobby had backed him up. Now all of the sudden he wanted to purify a non-hallowed resting place.

"Just a feeling is all," Dean said, knowing that would probably do the trick. Sam usually trusted vague feelings.

"Alright," Sam said and got up and grabbed his jeans.

SSS

They got to the house and headed up to the attic. Dean silently cursed in his head. He had forgotten he had broken the door. He would have to be quick about fixing it.

They both stepped into the room. Dean handed Sam the salt and Sam knelt down to spread it over the floor.

Dean hit Sam over the head to knock him out. "Sorry, Sammy," he said.

He grabbed the rope, the ghost had hanged herself with and tied Sam's hands behind his back in case he woke before Dean was ready.

He found that he had taken the door of the hinges cleanly, so that was actually a pretty easy fix. He reinforced it, of course and now it was stronger than ever. He knew the greatest threat to Sam was demons, so he painted a huge devil's trap that covered the entire attic, and spread salt at the door. There was no window, which was good. One less way for Sammy to get out.

He then took the lock off of the inside of the door and installed one outside, and shut Sam up in the room. He hoped to be done with his work and back with his brother before he woke up. He had to explain that he was keeping him safe. Before he set to the rest of the work, though, he had to fortify himself. He bit into Sam and drank a little over a pint. Not much more than if he were to donate blood, Dean told himself.

He went downstairs and spread salt at all the doors and windows and painted devil's traps in strategic spots. Then he went outside and put up demon warding sidgils on trees all over the property. He had forgotten how large the place was. This was going to take a while.

SSS

Sam woke groggy. The last thing he remembered was Dean behind him, handing him the salt. But, why would Dean knock him out and tie him up? He must be in trouble. "DEAN!" he yelled.

Dean was outside, but heard his brother yelling. He ran upstairs and opened the attic door. "Sammy."

"What's going on?" Sam asked, when he saw that Dean was obviously free and apparently unhurt.

"Remember last year when I was turned into a vampire and Bobby had that cure to turn me back?"

"Yeah," Sam shuddered. Dean being a vampire had been the worst week of his life. It had been the only time he was afraid of his brother.

"Well, I think the cure was temporary. Isn't that great?" Dean beamed.

Sam blanched. His brother was a vampire again? That meant he was obsessed with him and explained the kidnapping. "Dean, please. We'll get to Bobby's. Maybe he can just dose you up again," Sam pleaded.

Dean's face got dark. "Sammy, I don't understand why you fight me on this. Look, this is a good thing. As a vampire, I'll be more able to protect you from demons."

"Did you feed off of me?" Sam asked, realizing he recognized he weakness he was feeling from the other time Dean fed on him.

"Yeah. But, that means I can untie you. You can't fight me or outrun me, especially in a weakened state." Dean untied Sam. He had already removed all the sharp objects from the room so Sam couldn't attack him.

Sam looked longingly at the door behind Dean, but he knew Dean was right. Vampires were fast and strong. Without a weapon, and with blood loss, he was no match for Dean.

Dean saw Sam's look to the door. He got enraged. Why did his brother always want to leave him? He grabbed Sam by the collar and lifted him up off of his feet and threw him into the wall.

All of Dean's rages as a vampire were coming back to Sam. He remembered all the mood swings. So loving and protective one minute, full of wrath and abuse the next. He had had no idea what would have happened last time if Dad and Bobby hadn't come to the rescue. His dad was dead and Bobby had no idea this was happening again.

Dean looked down at his brother and regretted his actions. He couldn't apologize, though. Sam needed to learn that this was his new home and he wasn't leaving. And Dean wanted loyalty. Was that too much too ask?

He stalked out of the attic and locked the door. Then he went out to the Impala, so he could find himself some grub. The lives of a few humans was a small price to pay for the strength to save Sam.

SSS

When Sam heard the car, he started looking for a way out of the room. There was only the door. Dean had clearly reattached it tightly and it was securely locked. There was nothing to use for a weapon. He was trapped here forever…or until Dean couldn't control his rage, or his appetite, and killed him.

A/N I have no idea what to do for a what if for Time for a Wedding. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. You may or may not know I already wrote a story about Becky casting a spell so Sam would love her (at least for the weekend while he thought she was Jessica), but it didn't turn out according to her plan, so I'm a little stumped as to what to do now.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean headed to a bar. He could have a drink and pick up his next meal at the same time.

"Hey," he said to the first woman he saw.

"Hey," she answered back and smiled.

Dean bought her a drink and got himself one. He did his usual pickup routine and she seemed to be into it. "Want to get out of here?" he finally asked.

"Sure," she smiled. Guys were such jerks she thought. That's why she didn't feel bad when she drugged them and robbed them blind. The drug she gave them took about half an hour to work and she had found that was just about right to get them to wherever they were taking her. Maybe a few minutes later, but she was good at stalling.

She frowned when she saw the car. This guy probably didn't have much money. But, then again, he might be holding on to the old car for sentimental reasons. It did look well-cared for.

They chit-chatted on the way. Neither was the least bit interested in what the other was saying. Dean was hungry. The girl was just biding her time.

She frowned again when she saw the old house. "This is where you live?" She was stuck here now. She checked her watch. He should be asleep in about 5 minutes. Not long enough to get her back to town. She'd just wait until he passed out and then take his car. Tonight was a bust.

"It looks nicer inside," Dean said absently. As soon as they were inside, he would jump on her.

The girl looked at her watch again. Any second now. She saw the man, whose name she had never bothered to ask, come towards her. She backed up. "Bathroom?" By the time she came out, he would be out.

Dean sighed, and pointed to it. He could tell this girl was a total snob and almost laughed at her realizing there was no running water. But, there was also no window in the bathroom and he was just curious as to what her reaction would be. He wondered if this counted as playing with your food.

She went in the bathroom and looked around in disgust. She forced herself to stay in there for ten minutes. She emerged and headed straight for the front door. She wanted nothing more of this place.

"Where are you going, sweetheart?" Dean asked.

She spun around. Nobody had stayed awake this long. She had watched him drink his entire drink. Knew he hadn't switched it since she had drugged it. What was going on?

"I just want to go home," she said backing up, eyes wide.

"You are home, baby," Dean said and lunged towards her.

"No, please!" she screamed. She felt razor sharp teeth digging into her shoulder. She felt herself getting weaker as she felt blood going out of her.

Dean, on the other hand, felt himself getting stronger with each gulp.

SSS

Upstairs Sam heard the screaming. His brother was killing someone. "STOP!" he yelled.

He didn't think that would really work, of course, but he had to try something. Since he was locked in the attic, that was the best he could do.

SSS

Dean heard Sam yell. Then he remembered. He couldn't kill people. He had to feed on them to the point before death. He was a hunter. He saved people. After all, this whole vampire thing was just a way to better save Sam.

He hadn't gone too far with this girl. She was unconscious, though. He carried her upstairs. Sam could tend to her.

He opened the door and carried her in.

"Is she dead?" Sam asked. She certainly looked pale enough.

"No. Take care of her," Dean said as he set her down on the floor."

"We'll need food," Sam said.

"Don't you think I know how to take care of you," Dean growled.

Dean left, slamming and locking the door behind him.

Sam went over to the girl. He checked her pulse. It was a little weak, but steady. He took of his shirt and tore it into bandages for her neck.

She stirred as he was applying them. "Who are you?" she asked.

"My name's Sam. I'm trying to help you."

She looked around. "Where are we? What was that man?"

"A vampire," Sam answered. He couldn't say that it was his brother, because it wasn't. His brother wouldn't do this.

"Let's get out of here," she said and stood up. She sank down immediately. She was dizzy.

Sam caught her. "We're locked in."

"What are we going to do?"

"No idea. What's your name."

"Melissa."

"You should get some rest," Sam said.

Melissa looked around for a bed. "Where?"

Sam sat down next to her and laid her head on his lap. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

An hour later, Melissa awoke to the sound of the lock being opened. "That's him," she whimpered and jumped up and scooted against the wall.

"Hey, I got you guys some pizza and presents," Dean said.

"Presents?" Sam asked.

Dean set the pizza on the floor and opened up the bag he was carrying. He pulled out some chains and handcuffs. "Now that there's more than one of you, this will give you some mobility without me having to worry about you jumping me when I come in to take care of you. Eat your pizza, while I install these in the wall."

Sam and Melissa ate the pizza and kept a wary eye on Dean. Sam knew that Melissa was too weak to even walk out the door, and he was too weak to try to fight Dean. He might not have drained that much blood from him, but he had also tossed him against the wall, and he was just not up to full speed.

Finally, Dean finished with his work and dragged one of the cuffs over and attached it to Sam's wrist. He attached another to Melissa's.

"Why are there more?" Sam asked when he saw three more cuffs attached to chains lying on the floor.

"I'll need more than just the two of you to feed off," Dean noted.

"You can take all you need from me," Sam said, wanting to spare anyone else he could.

"Don't be ridiculous. That would kill you," Dean admonished, shaking his head.

"I'd rather be dead than chained up here."

Dean knelt next to his brother and hugged him. "It'll be OK, Sammy. You'll be safe here."

Sam couldn't help himself. He pushed away from the hug. Dean grabbed him by the hair and lifted his head to meet his. "What's your problem? Everything I do is for you and this is how you repay me?"

Melissa cowered back in fear. This guy was crazy.

Dean sucked some more blood out of Sam. He liked it when Sam was kind of out of it. It made him less rebellious.

When he was finished, he stood up. "Say you're sorry."

"I'm sorry," Sam mumbled.

Dean smiled, leaned down and patted Sam's cheek. "That's OK." His brother would come around sooner or later. He just hoped he wouldn't make him punish him too harshly. It was all Sam's fault when he got fed on, and Sam knew that.


	3. Chapter 3

"You obviously know him," Melissa said after Dean had been gone a few minutes.

"He's my brother," Sam admitted.

"Sorry," Melissa said.

"He wasn't like this before he became a vampire. It's not his fault," Sam defended.

"Whatever. Is he going to kill us?"

"I don't know," Sam answered honestly. He thought that Dean probably would end up killing them both. Melissa on purpose. Sam on accident.

SSS

Dean was trying to sleep downstairs. It was daytime and he was tired, but he kept thinking about Sam. He just wished the kid realized he was trying to save him. Why was he fighting him on this? He also wished he could curb his anger towards his brother. He didn't want to hurt him. He only fed on him to keep him weak.

SSS

"So, what do you do?" Sam asked Melissa.

"I rob men who hit on me in bars," she answered. She was most likely going to die anyway, and if she didn't she couldn't really see this Sam guy going to the cops.

"What?" Sam asked.

"You heard me. That's how I met your brother. The drugs I use didn't work on him. Guess because of the whole vampire thing. What about you? What do you do?"

One honest answer deserved another. "I hunt monsters and ghosts and stuff. It's how Dean ended up getting turned. Hunt gone wrong."

Melissa laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I bet this is the most honest either one of us has ever been with a stranger."

"I bet you're right," Sam chuckled.

SSS

Dean had given up trying to get any sleep. He decided he would make lunch for Sam and the girl. He had picked up plenty of supplies earlier. He decided to go with soup. He had fed on both of them and they both looked a little green. Solid food might not agree with them right now.

SSS

"So, do you have a girlfriend?" Melissa asked.

"I did. She died." Sam tried not to tear up, but even after all this time it was hard.

"I'm sorry," Melissa said. She could see the pain in his face. Maybe not all guys were jerks. This one might be the exception. "It sure is cold in here." She said it partly because it was true and partly to change the subject.

"Yeah. No heat in here." Sam sidled over to her and hugged her. "Body heat," he explained, in case she thought he was coming on to her.

"Thanks," she said and snuggled up against him.

The door swung open and Dean was there with a tray and two bowls of soup. "What the hell is going on here?" he yelled.

"I was cold. I was using her to warm up," Sam said. He realized his mistake. If Dean was obsessed with him, he wouldn't want him getting close to someone else.

Dean put the tray down and stormed over to them. "Get away from her!"

Sam quickly scooted away. He figured it would do more harm than good if he asked Dean not to hurt her. Better to make it look like he didn't care.

Dean grabbed out another pair of handcuffs. Sam wondered where he got so many. He rolled Melissa over and cuffed her hands behind her back. Then he grabbed a cloth off the tray and used it as a gag for you. "I don't want you befriending my food sources, Sam," Dean said.

"Of course not, Dean. I was just cold. I'm sorry."

Dean pulled out another pair of handcuffs and gently placed them on Sam's wrists behind his back. "They're not too tight are they?"

Sam shook his head no.

Dean went over to the tray and got one of the bowls of soup and a spoon. "Open up, Sammy," he said.

"Can't I feed myself?" Sam asked.

"Open up, Sammy," Dean said.

Sam opened his mouth and Dean spooned some soup in. He fed him the whole bowl. "Do I need to gag you, or do you promise not to talk to her?" Dean asked.

"I promise," Sam said.

"Good boy," Dean praised. "I'll go get you a blanket."

Again Sam refrained from asking for a blanket for Melissa, too.

Dean was back a few minutes later with two blankets, a couple of pillows, and some rope. "It looks like it's getting dark. You're probably ready to get some sleep."

He tied Melissa's feet together then tossed one of the blankets on to Melissa and shoved one of the pillows at her. "Lay down,Sammy."

Sam stretched out on his back as best he could. This was not going to be comfortable. "You'll be more comfortable on your side with your hands like that," Dean pointed out.

Sam obediently rolled onto his side and into a fetal position. Dean took the blanket and carefully spread it over his little brother. Then he gently slid the pillow under his head. "I wish you had said something last night."

"I didn't want to bother you," Sam said.

"Don't be silly, Sam. Are you warm enough?"

"Yes," Sam said.

Dean ever so gently looped rope around Sam's ankles and tied it as loosely as he thought he could get away with without Sam being able to free them. He wished he had a separate room for Sam. But he didn't have anything else secure.

"Want me to stay with you until you fall asleep."

NOOO! thought Sam. "You don't have to."

"But, I want to," Dean said as he sat next to Sam and rubbed his back. "Remember when I used to do this when we were kids?"

"Yeah," Sam said.

Melissa looked on in amazement. This was the weirdest thing she had ever seen. Man, she was hungry. That jerk hadn't fed her since he was mad about the whole cuddle thing. Either that or he had just forgotten. And Sam hadn't mentioned her once. She had been right. All guys were jerks.

Sam pretended to fall asleep. Dean got up a few minutes later and left. It was time to fill up the rest of the handcuffs. Then he wouldn't have to leave the house again until he needed more food for the people.

He realized he hadn't fed the girl, but then decided he didn't care. If she died, he could find a replacement.

SSS

"Sorry," Sam whispered to Melissa. He had heard the front door open and close and assumed Dean had left, but that was no reason to take stupid chances.

Melissa ignored him. It wasn't like she could answer him back anyway.


	4. Chapter 4

Dean was driving down the road and he came upon a small family with car trouble. A couple in their mid-thirties and their 12 or 13 year old son. He hesitated for a moment since it was a kid, but this was too perfect. He wanted three more people and here were three more people.

He stopped the car. "Need help?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks," the man said.

Dean got out of his car and attacked the man, baring his fangs.

The woman screamed. Dean paid no attention and shoved the man in the trunk. Then he turned towards the woman. "Run," she screamed to her son.

The boy took off running, but Dean wasn't worried. The best thing about being a vampire was the extra speed you got. He knocked the woman out and shoved her into the back seat. Then he ran after the boy. He caught up with him quickly.

"HELP!" the boy was yelling.

There was nobody to hear him, but Dean clamped a hand over the boy's mouth and loped back to the car with him. Dean shoved him in the passenger seat and drove off back to the house.

"Mom?"

"She's sleeping," Dean said.

"What are you going to do with us?" the boy asked.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you," Dean said.

The boy decided to stop asking questions.

SSS

When they got back to the house, Dean checked to make sure the woman was still out. He grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him up to the attic.

Sam woke up when he heard the door open. "Dean, what are you doing? That's a kid."

"Are you questioning me? I'm doing what I need to do to take care of you. I have to eat."

"But, Dean. He's a kid. He's not even full grown. How much food can you get out of him."

Dean chained up the kid, tied his feet and gagged him. Then he walked over to Sam and kicked him in the gut. "Don't question me. You were always questioning Dad, too. It's ridiculous. Why can't you let those in charge of protecting you do it?"

He stormed out to get the rest. The woman was just beginning to stir. Dean picked her up and brought her upstairs.

Sam realized what had happened. Dean hadn't specifically grabbed a kid. He had grabbed a family. Not that that made it any better, but it was more understandable.

Dean went down one last time to get the man out of the trunk. The man was trying to fight him. Of course, that was futile. He was chained up with the rest in no time.

SSS

Bobby was at his house when there was a knock at the door. He got up and answered it. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was his old friend Rufus, whom he hadn't seen , or heard from, in about ten years.

"You gotta help me bury a body."

Bobby rolled his eyes. It figured that the guy hadn't come to chat. He went out back with him and got his backhoe and started digging. When the hole was dug he got out to help Rufus with the body. "What was it, anyway?" Bobby asked.

"Vampire," Rufus answered.

"Should have known, seeing as how the body and head are separate. Speaking of which, I wanted to thank you for that vampire cure. It came in right handy a while back."

"You do the second dose, yet?" Rufus asked.

"Second dose?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah. The first one wears off exactly one year after it's administered. The person vamps out again, and you have one month to give them the antidote. Just like the first time."

"Why the hell didn't you tell me all that before?" Bobby asked.

"I did!" Rufus yelled.

"Forget it. I don't remember the exact date we dosed the guy, but it was about a year ago," Bobby said as he pulled his phone out of his back pocket. He called Sam's number.

Dean heard Sam's phone ringing. Obviously he had taken it off of him earlier. He wanted to keep all suspicion of anything funky going on for as long as possible. He checked the caller ID.

"Hey, Bobby," Dean answered.

"Dean, I thought I called Sam's phone," Bobby said, warily. Might not mean anything.

"Yeah. He went on a food run. Must have forgotten his phone. What's up?" Dean asked.

"I really need to talk to Sam."

Weird, Dean thought. Bobby usually took whoever was available. "Want me to have him call you when he gets back?"

"That'd be great. Thanks."

He hung up. "I don't like this, Rufus."

"What is it?"

"I called Dean's brother, but I got Dean. He said Sam's out on a food run. Not that big of a deal, but I'm just worried. Last time Dean vamped out, he became obsessed with Sam. Kept him tied up and even branded him with a poker.

"Did he say Sam would call you back?"

"Yeah."

"Well, let's give it 15 minutes before we start panicking," Rufus suggested.

"Easy for you to say," Bobby mumbled. Those boys were like sons to him. How was he supposed to wait fifteen minutes to panic?

SSS

Dean went upstairs. "Sam, I need you to do something. If you mess it up, I'm coming back up here and killing all these people."

The father heard this and his eyes went wide. Why would that Sam guy, whoever he was, do anything to keep them alive? He didn't even know them.

Sam nodded. Dean knelt down and undid the chains and cut the rope from his ankles. He grabbed Sam's arm and lifted him up.

"You're hurting me," Sam said.

"Sorry," Dean said and loosened his grip a bit. "But remember what I said," and he gave a nod in the boy's direction. Sam had seemed particularly concerned about him.

"What do you want me to do?" Sam asked when they were headed downstairs.

"Bobby called your phone. He specifically wanted to talk to you. You're going to call him back and you're not going to let him know anything's wrong. If he wants help with a job, we're already on one. If he wants to help with that, we don't need it. If he asks where we are, we're in Texas," Dean said, picking a random state that they were not in.

Dean handed Sam his phone after he put it on speaker. "By the way, I'm outside working on the car, if he asks."

Sam nodded and chose Bobby from his list of contacts.

"Sam, are you OK?" Bobby asked when he answered the phone.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Where's Dean?"

"Outside, working on the car."

"I just found out the cure we gave him last year was temporary."

Sam looked up and met Dean's eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. So, he's not a vampire yet?" Bobby asked. "I can't remember exactly when we dosed him."

"It was a year ago a few days ago. But Dean's fine. I think I would notice if he was a vampire," Sam lied.

"Well, I think maybe the two of you should come up here, ASAP. Maybe it's not exactly a year," Bobby said.

"Oh no, it's exactly a year," Rufus said, hearing Bobby's side of the conversation.

"Hold on, Sam," Bobby said. "Sam says it's been a year and Dean's fine."

"He's lying. Maybe Dean's threatening him."

Bobby felt like a moron. Why hadn't he thought of that?

"Sam, just get up here," Bobby said.

"We're fine, Bobby," Dean said.

"Thought you were outside, Dean," Bobby said.

"Bobby, I see you, I'll have to kill you. And I have five innocent hostages I can kill, too."

With that, Dean hung up, dropped the phones on the floor and smashed them with his foot. Now that his plan of not letting anyone know anything was up was over, he had to make sure they didn't track them that way.

He turned to Sam and punched him in the face.

"I didn't do anything," Sam whined, feeling like a two year old.

"You tipped him off somehow," Dean said and he beat Sam until he was laying bloody and unconscious on the floor.

"Why did you make me do that?" he asked, and felt guilty.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean looked down at Sam and hated himself. He was supposed to keep him safe, but it seemed like lately all he was doing was getting mad and hurting him. He went out to the car and got a couple of clean blankets. He placed one on top of the dusty couch and lifted Sam onto that. Then, he covered Sam up with the other blanket.

He set to cleaning up his blood. It was making Dean hungry but he was determined not to feed on Sam again. At least not until he was stronger. Even though he didn't want to hurt him anymore, he knew the importance of keeping him in a weakened state so that he couldn't escape.

When he was done with Sam, he went up to the attic to sate his appetite.

SSS

"What now?" Rufus asked.

"Good question. The one thing I know for sure is that if Dean Winchester don't want to be found, it's going to be darn near impossible to find him," Bobby answered.

"Any ideas?"

"Well, Sam said they were in Texas, so I'm pretty sure they aren't in Texas."

"Great. That just narrows it down to 49 states," Rufus groused.

"47. I'm pretty sure we can eliminate Alaska and Hawaii."

"Big help."

SSS

The father noticed the man who had abducted them was back without the other one. He wondered if that meant that he had somehow messed up and this guy was going to kill them all. He hated himself for it, but was relieved when he went over to the girl that he didn't know.

Melissa tried to back away from Dean, but he bent down and drank from her. He knew Sam didn't want any of these people dying, so he just drank enough to keep himself going.

After he was finished and stood up, Melissa noticed something shiny falling out of his pocket behind her. She was too tired to do anything about it now, but resolved to see if it was something she could use to escape later.

SSS

Dean went back downstairs. He decided he would keep Sam down here with him. He wanted him close and he had salted all the doors down here, too, so he'd be as safe as he would upstairs. He would keep him weak enough that tying him up wouldn't be necessary.

Sam groaned. He was starting to wake up. He felt like crap.

"Sammy," Dean said and rushed to his brother's side. "I'm so sorry. I checked you out and nothing's broken."

Sam wondered if he was supposed to thank him for that. He wasn't going to. He was beyond caring whether or not he could avoid a beating. Everything seemed to set Dean off.

"Hungry?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded.

Dean fixed him some soup. He helped Sam sit up. "Want me to feed you, or do you want to do it yourself?"

"Myself, please," Sam said.

Dean was disappointed. He liked to take care of Sammy, but he knew Sam was independent, so he handed him a spoon.

Sam noticed he wasn't tied up. He also knew there was no way he could escape. For one thing, he was incredibly weak from the blood loss and beatings. For another thing, Dean would take it out on the "food" upstairs. He wanted to ask if they were OK. Considering how Dean mad was at him earlier, he could have done anything. But, he knew Dean was jealous of them and if he asked about them, it might not go well for them. So, he kept his mouth shut.

Dean took the empty soup bowl away from him. "Sam, I think I know what our problem is."

"What?" Sam knew what their problem was. Dean was a vampire. He couldn't wait to hear Dean's take on it.

"You're too willful. It's like you and Dad when you were younger. He was always getting mad at you because you wouldn't do what you were supposed to."

Sam didn't point out that Dad had never drank his blood or beat the crap out of him. All his dad ever did was yell and use emotional blackmail.

"To avoid further trouble, you need to promise me that you'll do what I tell you. Immediately. No questions. No backtalk. Do you promise?"

Sam nodded. He hadn't quite been being honest with himself that he couldn't care less about avoiding beatings. Of course he wanted to avoid beatings and feedings.

"I need you to say it out loud," Dean said in that dangerous voice Sam was coming to fear worse than anything else he had ever encountered in his life.

"I promise, Dean. I'll do what you tell me."

Dean smiled. "That's my boy."

SSS

The next night, Dean woke Sam up. "Sammy, wake up."

Sam almost asked him why, but thought better of it. "What's up?" He figured that would be close enough without seeming rebellious to Dean.

"You've been cooped up in this house for four days. Let's go for a walk."

Sam panicked. He wasn't even sure if he could stand up by himself, much less walk. But Dean had told him no disobedience. "I'd love to, but I'm not sure I can. I'm sorry," Sam said all in a rush.

Dean slapped him. "Don't you think I'm going to help you?" Dean yelled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think," Sam apologized.

Dean relented. "No. You were tired and I didn't explain myself. That was my fault. Do you forgive me?"

Sam didn't think he had ever had a more ridiculous conversation in his life. In a way he just wished Dean would be mad and abusive all the time. It would be easier to deal with than this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde crap. "Of course," he said.

Dean helped Sam up and Sam did his best not to flinch at Dean's touch. Dean told Sam to lean against him, so Sam did. They went outside and walked down to the hunting cabin they had discovered with Molly. Sam couldn't believe that was five days ago. It felt like a lifetime.

Dean started looking around. Sam wondered what he was doing, but wasn't sure if it was alright to ask. He decided to risk it. After all, Dean hadn't told him to do anything, so he wouldn't be questioning an order. "What are you looking for?"

"I had a great idea earlier. I've wanted to keep you downstairs and I know you hate being tied up. So, I figured I could make you a cage. That way we would be in the same room without walls dividing us and I don't have to make a choice about keeping you weak, or worrying about you wandering off. Isn't that great?"

"Sure is, Dean."

Dean smiled. His brother was finally coming around. He finally found everything he needed.

"This is great, Sammy. I'll come back for this stuff later."

Sam wondered if that meant he would have a chance to free the others and they could escape. He didn't dare get his hopes up, though.


	6. Chapter 6

The next night, Dean fed on Sam. "Sorry, Sammy, but I need to get the stuff from the cabin. It just scares me to think that you'll run off. I know that you don't understand that you're safest with me."

"I do understand that, Dean. I didn't at first, but I do now," Sam said. He was hoping Dean would stop feeding on him. Then he was ashamed of himself. If Dean didn't feed on him, he would feed on someone else.

It turned out it didn't matter. Dean slapped him hard across the face. "Don't lie to me, Sammy." He fed some more and then grabbed some rope. "I wasn't going to tie you up. I know you hate it. But if I can't even trust you to tell the truth, how can I trust you not to leave."

Sam didn't say anything. He felt a little relieved when Dean left. He knew he would be back, but it was nice to get a little alone time.

SSS

Dean had untied Sam after he'd made the last trip for cage building supplies. He had decided he would build the cage around the couch he had Sam on most of the time. It made sense.

"How are you going to build a cage without electricity?" Sam asked. He couldn't help it. He was naturally curious.

"I got a battery operated thingy to run the power tools off of," Dean said. He thought it was a good sign that Sam was interested in the project.

"Oh man, I forgot the soldering iron. It's pretty much the most important part of this project. Want to go for a walk?"

Sam nodded. Once this cage was built, he would probably never get off the couch again. Dean helped him up and they slowly walked down to the hunting cabin to get the tool.

SSS

Melissa had finally managed to grab what Dean had dropped. It was a paper clip. She didn't know that Dean always carried one for the purpose she was about to use it. She hadn't been ripping people off since puberty without learning how to pick locks.

She smiled when she finally heard the cuff click open. She got up and inched towards the door. The man and woman started making noises. Melissa threw the paper clip at the guy. If they could get away, good for them, but it wasn't her responsibility. She wanted out.

Dean hadn't been bothering to lock the door. After all they were chained up. Plus, he was downstairs most of the time. However, she had heard him coming and going several times tonight and he had just left again a bit ago. If she hurried, she could get away.

SSS

"Sam, why do you hate me?" Dean asked as he grabbed the tool they had come for.

"I don't hate you, Dean. But, you're not acting like yourself. I wish you would call Bobby. I think he could help you," Sam said. He didn't know what Dean's reaction was going to be, but he had to try. Bobby was their only hope.

"Bobby might be able to help me, but where would that leave you?" Dean asked as he guided Sam back out the door and towards the house. Sam wished their outdoors time could last a little longer. That old dusty, musty, creepy house was getting on his nerves.

"What do you mean?"

"I can protect you like this."

"You're not protecting me. You're smothering me," Sam said before he could stop himself.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Dean said as he protectively pulled Sam closer to him.

Sam tried to pull away. He knew he couldn't run off or anything. He just wanted, needed, to feel like he had a little bit of control.

Dean jerked him right back, and looped his arm around his neck. "You're never going to leave me, Sammy," he whispered, as they walked on as best they could in that position.

SSS

Melissa made her way to Dean's car as quickly as she could. She hotwired it. Her parents had told her she was wasting her life and should acquire some real skills. Well, the skills she had were about to save her life.

SSS

Dean and Sam were just rounding the corner to the house when Dean heard the rumble of the Impala starting up. He grabbed his gun out of his pants, gripped Sam harder and ran towards the sound. It would probably make more sense to leave Sam behind, but he was afraid there might be something dangerous around.

"Dean!" Sam whined. He was too tired to run through the woods. He fell to his knees and Dean continued to drag him over the twigs and rocks. "Stop."

"Can't, Sammy." Dean ran out into the clearing, dragging Sam behind him, just as his car went sailing out of view. "What the hell?" he yelled.

He continued to drag Sam inside. He shoved him down and ran up the stairs. The family was still there, but that girl he had picked up was gone. He ran back down the stairs.

"I have no car and I'm going to need more food," Dean said as he stomped down the stairs.

"It's almost morning. Worry about it tomorrow night," Sam said, hoping Melissa would send help, but knowing she wouldn't.

"Good thinking, Sammy," Dean said. "Looks like your cage will have to wait a couple of days."

SSS

Melissa pulled into a motel parking lot and went into the office. "I need a room for the night."

"OK," the clerk said and got a look at her car as he filled in the paperwork. "You're in room 103."

"Thanks," Melissa said and headed over. She wanted a shower and some sleep and to forget these last few days ever happened.

As soon as she was out of the office, the clerk reached for his phone.

"Bobby, the car you've been looking for is here. But, there's just one woman with it."

"Keep her there. We'll be there by noon."


	7. Chapter 7

Bobby and Rufus pulled up to the motel a few minutes before noon. "There she is," Bobby said and pointed to the Impala.

"I'll admit it's a rare car, but how can you be sure that's the Winchesters'?" Rufus asked.

"They've had those same Kansas plates for years. That's them."

They got out of the car and headed into the office. "Which room?" Bobby asked.

"Actually, she's coming in right now."

Bobby turned around. "That your car out there? Where'd you get it?"

"My father gave it to me," Melissa lied. Maybe they wanted to buy it and she could get some cash.

"Try again," Bobby said.

"My father gave it to me."

"You steal it off a vampire, maybe? What are you going to do if he comes looking for it?" Bobby asked, trying to put a scare into her.

"Who are you?" Melissa asked.

"Look, I just need to find him so I can fix him and save his brother."

"You mean Sam?" Melissa finally decided that she did kind of like him. If she could help him without harming herself why not. She explained to the old guys exactly where to find them.

"Thanks," Bobby said. "We'll take the car off of your hands."

"Whatever."

SSS

Bobby was driving the Impala and Rufus was following in Bobby's car. Bobby was hoping against hope that they hadn't left. It didn't make a lot of sense to stick around a place where someone had escaped from.

SSS

The sun was going down. "I'm going out for a little while, Sam. I'm going to cuff you to the radiator. When I get back we're leaving. That girl may have gone for the cops. Don't know why I didn't think of it before."

"You don't need to cuff me. I'll stay," Sam said.

"I'd feel better knowing you can't leave. Now get up."

Sam sighed and got up. Disobeying would just earn him a beating or a feeding. Sam noticed that Dean was not at all gentle with the cuff. It was biting into his skin. "That's a little tight," he said.

"Then I guess you'll be hoping I get back soon. I've seen your eyes. How happy you are when I leave and how disappointed when I get back. Everything I've ever done has been for you. How do you think your ingratitude makes me feel?" He slapped Sam and went outside.

Dean ran out to the road. He waited for a car and then he darted in front of it. He needed wheels. He would pick up food when they got to their new destination. He'd bring the driver of the car, but leave the family in the attic. He would even go ahead and call the cops himself when they were away so they could free them.

The driver slammed on his brakes. "Are you nuts?" he yelled as he got out of the car. He backed up when Dean bared his fangs. He attacked the man, knocked him out and stuffed him in his trunk. He was going to go back for Sam when he heard a familiar rumble.

He looked up and saw the Impala with Bobby behind the wheel. He had no idea how that had come to pass, but he had to get Sam out of there.

He ran with all his vampiric speed back to the house. He quickly unlocked Sam's cuff and dragged him up. "Hurry up!" he said tugging on him.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

"Shut up and move!" Dean yelled pushing him out the door and turning him away from the road.

SSS

Bobby had seen Dean running away from him. "This way!" he yelled to Rufus, as he braked the car and jumped out as quickly as his age would allow.

"How we gonna catch up with a vampire?" Rufus asked as they ran.

"He'll have Sam slowing him down ,ya idgit," Bobby said.

SSS

Dean realized he wasn't going to be able to outrun Bobby with Sam. Sam was too slow. Of course, that was his fault. All the beatings and drainings. But there was nothing he could do about that now. He found a ditch and shoved Sam down in it. He pressed them both into the side of the ditch and firmly placed his hand over Sam's mouth.

"SAM!" Bobby yelled.

Sam looked up. So, that was the urgency. Bobby was here. "Mmpf," he whispered.

"Shh. It's OK, Sammy. I'll keep you safe," Dean whishpered.

"SAM!" Bobby yelled again. Sam figured he was about fifteen feet away. Dean pushed his hand harder against Sam's mouth. Sam could hear two sets of feet running. He didn't know who was with Bobby. He shook with frustration. He was so close and couldn't let them know where he was.

"It's OK," Dean whispered. "I know you're scared, but I won't let them take you away from me. They're past us. Bobby brought us the car back. Let's go." Keeping his hand firmly on Sam's mouth, he lifted him up and took a look back towards where Bobby and the other guy had run off to. They were out of sight. "Let's go."

Dean tripped and fell. Sam was still standing. This was his one chance. Bobby was close. If he could just get a couple minutes' head start, he could get to them. He kicked Dean in the head.

Dean was a little dazed. He had to shake his head to clear it. Sam was running away from him. Not fast, but he was getting into the trees. Dean wasn't sure exactly where he was.

SSS

"I think we passed them," Bobby said.

"What makes you think that?" Rufus asked.

"Hunch."

"Let's split up. We got more of a chance of finding them."

"Alright. Just try not to hurt Dean," Bobby said.

"I'll do my best and you know that," Rufus said as he loped forward, while Bobby turned back.

SSS

Dean turned around. He caught Sam's scent and headed in that direction.

SSS

Bobby thought he heard running to the right of him. He headed in that direction, but it sounded a way off.

SSS

Sam realized he had no idea where anybody was. He started to panic. He had to find Bobby before Dean found him.

He backed up a couple of steps trying to get his bearings. He felt an arm coming around his neck and a hand over his mouth. "Miss me, Sammy?"

NOOOO! Sam cried out in his mind as he heard Bobby yelling his name once again. He was close, but Sam had no way to alert him to his predicament. He was being quickly pulled away from the yelling.


	8. Chapter 8

Bobby spotted Dean. He lifted up the dart gun that was laced with dead man's blood and shot it straight into Dean's neck. Dean felt the prick and turned around. "What did you do?" he asked as he sank to his knees.

"Dead man's blood," Bobby said. "GOT HIM, RUFUS," he yelled, hoping he wasn't going to have to track down that idgit.

He ran up to Dean and forced the cure down his throat. Rufus came up. "That you huffing and puffing?" Bobby asked.

"Shut up, old man. I'm in better shape than you."

Dean woke up. "What happened?"

"You were a vampire. We turned you back," Bobby stated the obvious.

"Sam," Dean whispered.

"Where is he?" Bobby asked. He had wondered that when he first saw Dean, but figured his first priority was the cure.

"He got away while we were hiding from you," Dean said.

"Well, I imagine he's around somewhere. Rufus and I will go look for him. If you were anything like you were the last time, he ain't gonna come out for you," Bobby pointed out.

"Wait. Shouldn't you kill me? Am I going to keep turning into a vampire?"

"No. Two doses and it's permanent," Rufus said.

"Who are you?" Dean asked.

"He's an old friend," Bobby said. "Of course it would have been nice if he had let me in on the two dose info in the first place."

"I did," Rufus insisted.

"Can you guys fight after you find Sam," Dean requested.

"Yeah, sure," Bobby said. "SAM!" He yelled. "You can come out. Dean's not a vamp anymore."

SSS

Sam had recognized that voice the second he heard it. Gordon Walker. He didn't know how He had ended up here, or gotten out of jail. He did know this was the last thing he needed right now. Sam saw he was being propelled towards a car and some guy he had never seen before.

"SAM!" they heard.

"We need to hurry and get out of here, Kubrick," Gordon said. "You got the needle ready."

"Yeah, Gordon," Kubrick said and jammed a needle in Sam's arm.

"Get the trunk," was the last thing Sam heard before everything went black.

SSS

Bobby and Rufus got to the edge of the woods, the opposite side of where they had parked. They had been following tracks where it looked like someone had been half dragged, half walked out. "Tire tracks," Rufus pointed out.

"You think someone took Sam?" Bobby asked. That kid had the worst luck.

"Looks that way."

"Random or planned?" Bobby asked.

"How the hell would I know? I've never even met these boys before. Always treating me like I'm some sort of guru with all the answers. What's your problem?" Rufus asked.

"Let's see if Dean knows anything," Bobby said ignoring Rufus's tirade.

They headed back to where they had left Dean. "Where's Sam?" he immediately asked. It had taken all his self-control not to go looking when they hadn't returned momentarily.

"We think he's been kidnapped," Bobby admitted.

"What?"

"We found signs of a struggle and then tracks where it looked like someone dragged someone to the edge of the woods. Then a set of tire tracks."

"Who would take Sam? You didn't find sulphur did you?"

"Demons don't generally have to drag, but no, no sulphur. Plus, I don't see how a demon would get anywhere near this place. You've got warding stuff all over the place," Bobby was actually kind of impressed.

"How are we going to find him, Bobby?" Dean asked.

"I wish I knew, kid."

"In the meantime, there's some people in the attic that need to be untied and let go."

"OK. You get out of here. We'll take care of that and meet back at my place. We'll put out some feelers and see if anybody knows anything," Bobby said.

"We should stick close to the area," Dean protested.

"We don't know that whoever has Sam is going to do that. And, the folks upstairs may just describe you to the cops. Get out of here."

"OK," Dean said, hanging his head down. While trying to protect Sam he had made him vulnerable.

SSS

Sam woke up in what he assumed to be the trunk of a car. He noticed that there were air holes in it. You could always depend on Gordon to be considerate that way. He grunted as they hit a bump. He had no idea how long he had been out. He was thirsty, though. He felt the car pulling to a stop.

"We need gas," Gordon said, inside the car.

Kubrick pushed a button next to the glove compartment. Gas sprayed into the trunk, putting Sam back to sleep again.

"I have no idea if he was awake or not, but he's not anymore," Kubrick announced. They couldn't have the kid yelling for help and banging on the trunk while they were at the gas station.

SSS

"We should make a list of enemies," Bobby said. "You, Sam, your dad."

"Bobby, I wouldn't know where to start. My dad specialized in pissing people off," Dean said. "The better question might be how would anybody have known where to find Sam in the first place? This couldn't have been random, could it?"

"Nothing's random with you boys," Bobby pointed out. Rufus had had to get back home. Dean and Bobby were on their own.

"Well, how did you find us?" Dean asked.

"Had feelers out on the car. Girl told us where you were."

"Maybe she told somebody else," Dean theorized.

SSS

Sam woke up in the trunk again. He jounced along for what felt like about an hour and felt the car pull over again. This time there was no gas. The trunk was opened and he was greeted by Gordon and his friend, holding guns on him. "Get out, Sammy."

"It's Sam," he corrected as he exited the trunk. "Where are we?"

"Abandoned farmhouse. Get inside."

"I thought you were in jail," Sam said.

"Escaped. Now shut up and move."

"How'd you find me?" Sam asked as he walked up the porch.

"Got a friend in common with Bobby Singer. He told Bobby when he saw some girl with your car. Girl told Bobby in front of our friend where to find you. He called me and shared the intel."

"I thought we were the ones who were going to ask the questions," Kubrick said.

"We are. Just humoring him so he can concentrate," Gordon said. "The good news is it took a couple of weeks to find you, Sammy. I've had time to set things up. Sit down," Gordon indicated a chair.

"I don't mind standing," Sam said.

Gordon shoved him into the steel chair, which was equipped with automatic restraints. Gordon held Sam in place and Kubrick hit a button. Metal came out and encircled, Sam's wrists, ankles, and midsection. Gordon picked up a poker, grinned, and said, "Let the interrogation begin."


	9. Chapter 9

Gordon got the fire going. "While we're waiting on that to get nice and toasty, maybe you'll just answer our questions without the need for persuasion."

"What questions?" Sam asked, wondering what Gordon could possibly know.

"There's a bunch of psychics who are going to lead a demon army. You're one of them." Gordon began.

"Supposedly," Sam countered. He didn't feel like he could lead an army of ants at this point.

"Well, something occurred to me. There aren't enough demons topside right now to comprise an army. How are the demons going to get more demons up here?" Gordon asked.

"I'm supposed to know?" Sam asked.

Gordon stuck the poker in the fire. "You know alright. And you're going to tell us."

"I don't know," Sam insisted.

Gordon applied the poker to Sam's arm and grinned as Sam screamed. "He's weak. He'll talk soon," he informed Kubrick.

SSS

Dean and Bobby had decided to head back to the bar where Dean had picked up Melissa. Of course, Dean didn't know her name. "Do you really think she'll come back here?" Bobby asked as they walked up to the bar.

"Apparently," Dean said, when he saw the familiar face coming out of the door. She didn't see them at first and so had taken a couple of steps out of the bar. Her eyes widened in fright and she took a couple of steps back.

Dean reached out and grabbed her arm. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said, "but I need to know who else you told where to find us."

"I didn't tell anybody else. Just that guy and the other old guy he was with," she said, indicating Bobby. Bobby rolled his eyes. Why did people keep calling him old?

"Who else did you tell?" Dean growled and twisted her arm a bit.

"Dean," Bobby cautioned and removed his hand from her arm. "Look, just tell us and we'll leave you alone."

"I swear, I didn't tell anyone else." Melissa was in tears. This crazy guy was going to kidnap her again.

"I think she's telling the truth," Bobby said. He had developed skills so that he was practically a human lie detector.

"Then how did he find us?" Dean asked.

Bobby nodded to Melissa and she ran off.

"Bobby. She could be lying. She might know something."

"I don't think so," Bobby said. "She told us in front of my friend Charlie. Maybe he knows something."

"He'd better," Dean grumbled. He had to find his brother.

SSS

Gordon had applied the poker to Sam fifteen times. He was contemplating sticking it in his eyes, but he wasn't ready to go that far yet. Depending on what information he got, he might need to show something to Sam for more information. Plus, the kid could die from an infection from that. He needed to keep him alive until he talked.

"Think about it for a while. We'll be back." He nodded to Kubrick. They needed to regroup and restrategize. They went upstairs.

Sam couldn't really move, but he hung his head down and passed out from exhaustion.

SSS

Bobby and Dean walked into the motel office.

"Charlie, did you tell anyone else about where Sam and Dean were."

"Yeah. Gordon Walker said he wanted to help," Charlie explained.

"Gordon Walker! You told Gordon Walker where were?" Dean exploded.

Charlie shrank back. He was used to hunters, but he wasn't sure what this guy's problem was.

"I haven't talked to Gordon in years," Bobby said. "What's with the souped up reaction?"

"Gordon wants to kill Sam. He tried a few months back, but then he got arrested for murder. He must have busted out or something."

"Why would Gordon want to kill Sam? He's a hunter."

Dean looked at Charlie. "Let's go outside," he said to Bobby. He didn't need Sam's business to be known by the whole world.

"What is it?" Bobby asked when they got outside.

"Sam's psychic," Dean said.

"What? Since when?" He'd known the kid his whole life and never knew the kid to have visions, or bend spoons or anything.

"Since a couple of years ago. There's a bunch of them and the yellow-eyed demon has plans for them to lead a demon army. It's not going to happen, Bobby. Sam wouldn't do that. But we need to find him fast."

"If Gordon wants to kill him, why take him? Why not just kill him and leave his body?"

"I don't know. All I know is we have to find him. Any idea where we can look?"

"His family used to be farmers. I know he's got an old farmhouse he sometimes uses as a hideout. I know where it is, but it's all the way on the other side of the country."

"Then we better get going," Dean said.

SSS

"Let's mess with his head," Gordon said to Kubrick.

"What do you mean?"

Gordon explained his plan. When he was done, he went downstairs. He passed by the den where Sam was tied up and sleeping. He made a loud noise to wake Sam, but made sure to ignore him. He hoped the kid didn't call out to him or anything.

Kubrick came downstairs and Gordon recrossed the room to the other side.

"He still out?" Kubrick asked.

"Yeah," Gordon lied. They were making sure to speak loud enough to "overhear" them.

"Bad news. Dean got the jump on Singer and his pal. They're both dead."

"What about Dean?" Gordon asked.

"Still a vamp. You think he'll be able to find us?"

"Doubt it. But if he does, we know how to take care of fangs," Gordon said.

Sam was listening in the other room. Bobby was dead. There was no hope left for Dean. And nobody to come looking for him.

Gordon and Kubrick joined him. "Looks like he's awake," Gordon said. "Ready to talk?"

"I don't know anything," Sam said.

Gordon grabbed a knife and put it up to Sam's throat. "Maybe we're just asking the wrong questions. Do you know who any of the other psychics are?"

"No," Sam lied. He wouldn't betray Andy and Ava. OK, nobody could find Ava, but as far as he knew Andy was still around. No way he was handing him over to this lunatic. Besides, he hoped Gordon did press that blade into his neck. He'd rather be dead. He had nothing to live for anymore, anyway.


	10. Chapter 10

"Maybe we should fly," Dean said. "We're still two days away."

"I already thought about that," Bobby said. "There's a blizzard in the northeast. We'll never get a flight."

Dean groaned and pushed harder on the accelerator.

SSS

"Weather's getting bad. We should go out and get everything we'll need for the next few days," Kubrick said.

Gordon looked out the window. He didn't want to give Sammy a break, but Kubrick was right. If they didn't get supplies now, they may not be able to get them. He pulled a needle out of a case.

"What's that?" Sam slurred.

"Well, in your condition and in that chair, there's little chance that you'll escape while we're gone. However, if you're asleep, there's zero chance." With that he plunged the needle into Sam's arm and he fell into blissful rest.

SSS

"You know, I was thinking," Gordon said as he and Kubrick were driving back to the farmhouse.

"'Bout what?" Kubrick asked. Gordon was the smartest guy he'd ever met. He hung on every word.

"Maybe the demon's plan is to kill all the psychics. Maybe they're going to BE the demon army. Whatever we do, we got to keep Sammy alive. In pain is OK, but alive."

"Good thinking," Kubrick agreed whole-heartedly. They were back.

"Oh, man, I think the furnace has died," Gordon said when they walked in the house.

"At least we have the fireplace," Kubrick said.

"But the rest of the house will be pretty cold," Gordon said with a gleam in his eye.

"Yeah," Kubrick acknowledged.

"Get him up."

Kubrick saw what he was thinking and hit the button and the restraints came off. Sam was still sleeping. Gordon stripped him down to his underwear and tied his hands behind his back and his feet together. He dragged him into the next room and shut the door to keep the heat out. "He'll talk when we offer him heat," Gordon predicted.

SSS

Sam woke up a couple of hours later. He was freezing. He noticed he was just in his underwear. He could hear the wind howling. He could see a window and saw snow swirling around outside. He was so cold he was shaking. His teeth were chattering. He curled into a ball as best he could to get whatever warmth he could.

SSS

A few hours later, Gordon and Kubrick joined him. "Ready to tell us what you know?" Gordon asked.

"I d-d-don't kn-n-ow anything," Sam said.

"He's shaking pretty violently, Gordon," Kubrick noted. The plan was not to let him die.

"Alright," Gordon groused. "Let's get him a blanket." They bundled him up in a blanket and dragged him back out next to the fireplace.

Gordon tried applying the poker a few times, but Sam was just as uncommunicative as he had been. At the end of the day, they untied him and repositioned him in the chair. Kubrick pushed the button for the restraints to hold Sam. The hand ones broke off. "Crap," Kubrick said.

"I got cuffs," Gordon decided instead of rope. He put them on and then broke something off in the locks.

"What did you do that for?" Kubrick asked.

"I've broken the locks so that there's no way he can pick them. If we really want to get them off we can cut them, but why would we want to? He can stay in them the rest of his life."

"What about my clothes?" Sam asked.

"You don't need them. You're not going anywhere. Night night," Gordon leered.

SSS

The next day

"Gordon, I've got a line on another one of these freaks," Kubrick said.

"Where? We should get as many of them as we can," Gordon said.

"He's from Oklahoma. His name is Andrew Gallagher."

Not Andy, Sam thought.

"Sammy knows him. You see that little flit of recognition at the name," Gordon said. "Well, we'll go get your friend and be back in a few days."

"Sooner than that. He's in the next town over. I've got a friend over there. Kid talked him into giving him free service. My friend doesn't give anything out for free."

"OK, sleepy bye time, Sammy," Gordon said, pulling out a needle.

"But, I just woke up."

"Too bad. We're leaving. You have to sleep." Gordon plunged the needle in.

SSS

An hour later

Dean and Bobby pulled up outside the house. "This the place?" Dean asked.

"Yep," Bobby said.

They got out of the car, drew their guns and entered the house as stealthily as possible. The first thing they saw was a naked Sam, sleeping in a chair. Dean ran up to him and tried to figure out how to free him. Bobby covered him.

Dean found a button and pushed it, hoping he wasn't doing the wrong thing. He was rewarded by the restraints coming free. Sam began to fall off the chair and Dean caught him. "There's something wrong with these cuffs. I can't pick them," Dean said.

"Look, we don't know where these jokers are. Take him with you and try to get them off later," Bobby suggested.

"OK," Dean said. "But, I'm putting his pants and shoes on."

Dean finally got Sam out to the car. He was still out which was worrying Dean. "Let's go."

"You guys go. There's another car. I'm going to find Gordon. The thing I remember most about him is he is focused. Once he sets his eyes on a goal, he's going to accomplish it. Sam won't be safe as long as he's out there."

Dean nodded. That's the way he felt. More so now that he saw his brother after a couple of days with him. He was covered with burns and cuts.

"Be careful," he said to Bobby, and drove off with Sam asleep in the back seat.

SSS

Gordon and Kubrick found Andy in the next town. "That's him," Kubrick pointed. His friend had described him to a tee and told him where he could find him.

"Well, he has the power of mind control. How are we going to capture him?"

Kubrick pulled out a needle. "We jab him before he notices us. When he get him back to the house, we release Sam from the chair, fix it so it works right, stick Andy in it and then disable it, so he can't make us let him go."


	11. Chapter 11

Sam woke up. He was in a car. No, he was in the Impala. Dean was driving. He couldn't decide if this was better or worse than Gordon. He decided it was better, but only just slightly.

Dean saw a hardware store up ahead. He decided they would have what he needed to get the cuffs off.

Sam noticed that the car was stopping and decided to pretend he was still asleep. He didn't want to have to deal with Dean right now. He also noticed the handcuffs were still on. He was glad that Dean had put pants on him, though. Although, he had been out at the time, he knew that would have been Dean and not crazy Gordon.

"You awake, Sammy?" Dean asked and looked in the back seat. He frowned when he got no response. He was getting concerned about Sam's continued unconsciousness. Who knew what Gordon did him? Dean put his hand on Sam's shoulder. He still felt a little cold.

Sam used every ounce of self-restraint he had to not flinch at the vampire's touch. "You'll be OK, Sammy. I'll be right back."

Sam breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed. He wondered if he should try to get help. He was afraid Dean might hurt someone, but he didn't want to be his prisoner the rest of his life either.

SSS

Gordon and Kubrick watched Andy go into his motel room.

"You ready?" Gordon asked.

"Yeah," Kubrick said and brandished the syringe filled with sedative. "Sammy's about to get some company."

"We should hurry. I don't like leaving him alone too long. He's resourceful and there's always a chance his brother may find us."

"Let's go, then."

Gordon kicked down the door. Now was no time for subtlety. Then again, he didn't know when the time for subtlety was.

Kubrick raised up the needle, but before he could plunge it into Andy's shoulder, Andy shouted, "Do the Macarena!"

Kubrick dropped the needle and immediately the two of the put their arms out in front of them and started singing, "duh, duh ,duh….Hey, Macarena."

"Don't know the words?" Andy asked. He was half amused, half wondering who these guys were. "Keep doing that and don't ever stop."

SSS

Bobby had asked around and found out what town Gordon had taken off to. Nobody seemed to know why, though.

When he got to town, he started asking if anyone had seen the two nutty hunters. He tracked them down to a hotel. He sidled up to a door and heard singing. "What the hell is going on in there?" he muttered to himself.

SSS

Sam lifted himself up and looked out the car window. The parking lot was deserted. Looked like the choice was made for him. He laid back down and hit his head on the seat in frustration. He closed his eyes. He was trying to think up a plan when he smelled the unmistakable odor of sulphur.

SSS

Suddenly, Bobby heard the off-key singing inside stop and a couple of thumps. He noted that the door was already broken so he pushed it open. He saw Gordon and his friend on the floor with their throats slit. And he smelled sulphur.

What had happened here? His phone rang. "Dean?"

"Sam's gone!"

Dean was panicking. He had come out of the hardware store and found Sam gone and sulphur in the back seat.

"It gets worse. There's sulphur."

"Gordon and his friend had their throats slit and are laying in a pile of sulphur. What do you think is going on?"

"I don't know. I'll call Ash and see if he's got anything."

"OK. I'll come to you," Bobby promised.

SSS

A few hours later

"I'm waiting for Ash to call me back," Dean told Bobby as he paced back and forth at the side of the highway.

As if on cue, his phone rang. "Ash, what do you have?" Dean demanded.

"There are a lot of demon signs coming from a place called Cold Oak, South Dakota," Ash informed him.

"Thanks," Dean said and relayed the info to Bobby.

"Great, let's go," Bobby said.

SSS

Sam woke up and looked around. He was laying in a puddle. He struggled to get up. Those stupid cuffs, he thought. He looked around. It looked like one of those old ghost towns. He walked over to a building. He peered inside a window and didn't seem to see anything.

He heard a sound and turned around. "Andy!" he said.

"Sam? What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Where are we?"

"Calm down," Sam said, but his heart wasn't really in it. "What's the last thing that you remember?"

"There were these two guys who I think were trying to kidnap me or something and I made them dance the Macarena."

Sam couldn't help but chuckle. Served them right. Although, he wished Andy would have had them shot each other. Normally he was against killing humans, but he was making an exception for those two.

"Then, I smelt something like…," Andy broke off.

"Sulphur?" Sam supplied.

"How did you know that? What's with the cuffs?"

"Long story," Sam said.

They heard a scream. Sam and Andy ran over to a shed. They were joined by a guy and a girl. The guy picked up a rock and broke the lock off the door.

"Ava?" Sam asked when she came out of the shack.

"Sam!" she shrieked.

"I take it you guys know each other. I'm Jake, by the way," the other guy said.

"Lily," the girl added.

"What brought us here?" Ava asked.

"It's less a who, more of a what. It's a demon," Sam answered.

"A demon? And we're supposed to buy that? From a guy who was apparently in the midst of being arrested. I'm better off on my own. FYI, so are all of you." With that he walked off.

"Jake, wait," Sam said.

Ava smiled slyly and closed her eyes in concentration. Divide and conquer had been her M.O. all along and it would serve her well this one last time.

A/N Thanks to girlyghoul for the Macarena idea. I briefly considered leaving them alive to do it for eternity, but they really deserved to die for what they did to Sam.


	12. Chapter 12

"We should go after him," Sam said. He was tired, though. He couldn't be expected to take care of all these people. Not after all he had been through. But he knew he would.

As a group, they all turned in the direction Jake had taken when they heard him screaming. They ran towards the sound. They came upon his body—ripped to shreds. Ava screamed. Andy and Lily just stared.

"I'm getting out of here," Lily said.

"The only way out of here is through miles of woods," Sam pointed out.

"Beats hanging out with demons. Look what happened to Jake."

"We'll be better off if we stick together," Sam said.

"Fine," Lily agreed.

Sam led the way to an abandoned house. "We need salt, silver, iron, anything that can be used as a weapon."

"Salt is a weapon?" Lily asked.

"It's a brave new world," Sam replied. He was frustrated by the fact that he was going to be mostly supervising. He hoped Gordo was Macarenaing himself to death.

Lily was last to go in the house. At the last second, she veered off and headed for the woods. No way was she hanging out waiting to be gutted by a demon.

Ava turned and noticed Lily leaving. She kept the information to herself. A few minutes later she summoned her little demon friend and sent it after Lily. Andy and Sam were none the wiser.

"Where's Lily?" Sam asked later.

"LILY!" Ava yelled.

There was no answer. Sam sighed. The dumb girl had taken off and probably got herself killed. He hoped he was wrong, but had a very strong feeling that he wasn't.

"I found salt," Andy said. "What now?"

"Spread it in front of the doors and windows." Sam wondered what the point was. Andy and Ava weren't hunters. Yeah, Andy had special powers, but Sam knew they wouldn't work on a demon. He was the best equipped to deal with the demons, but his hands were bound in front of him. Probably the most he was doing was buying them a little time.

SSS

Sam stood guard while Andy and Ava slept. He thought again of how ill-prepared they were. What was he going to do if the yellow-eyed demon showed up? He couldn't even swing a poker at him. Ava opened her eyes. Sam was looking the other direction and Andy was sleeping. She leaned over and broke the salt line and called her demon to her.

Sam spun around just as the demon entered the room. "Andy, wake up," Sam yelled. Andy had a poker next to him. Sam had instructed him to use it like a baseball bat on a demon. Andy swung at the demon and it disappeared.

"How did that thing get in here?" Sam asked. He looked around and saw a salt line on the window behind Ava broken. "How did that happen?" he asked, nodding towards it.

"Maybe the wind," Ava replied lamely.

"I don't think so," Sam answered.

The demon appeared again. Andy swung at it. Then he thrust the poker through Ava's stomach. She doubled over and sank to the ground. Andy took the poker again and stabbed it into her chest several times.

"Andy? What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"I had a vision. That yellow-eyed man, or demon, or whatever came to me and told us we were here to decide who was going to lead the demon army. Looks like Ava was trying to win the crown."

"Let's get out of here," Sam said. He was having a hard time reconciling this Ava with the "secretary from Peoria" who was way behind on wedding invitations.

They walked out into the old deserted town. "We should be able to make it out now," Sam said.

"Not we," Andy answered.

Sam spun around. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. Only one of us is getting out alive. Normally, I would think I had a chance, but someone evened up the score a little."

"Andy, don't do this. Don't give in to what it wants." Sam was actually saying this more for Andy's sake than his own. He had little, if anything, to live for anymore. He had lost Jessica a couple of years ago. He hadn't thought he would ever want to live again after that, but Dean had pulled him through. Then, his father had died. Dean had been his rock, then, too. But, now Bobby was dead at Dean's hands and all Dean wanted to do now was smother and control him.

"I have to," Andy responded, and thrust the poker forward.

Sam managed to dodge out of the way, but there was no way he could keep that up forever.

"SAM!" they both heard.

"Is that your brother?" Andy asked.

"Yeah," Sam sighed. He wasn't sure if this was good news or not for him, but he knew it was definitely bad for Andy.

Sam turned slightly towards the sound when he heard footsteps and was shocked to see not only his brother, but Bobby, too.

"Bobby? You're alive?" What did that mean? Gordon had lied. Was Dean cured of his vampirism?

Andy took advantage of Sam's distraction and thrust the poker into his mid-section. He then took off running in the opposite direction.

"NOOOO!" Dean yelled and ran to Sam.

Bobby kept running after Andy.

"Dean," Sam whispered. "Are you a vampire?" he coughed up blood with the question.

Dean hadn't realized that Sam wouldn't have known he was cured. "No, Sammy. I'm not a vampire."

Sam did his best to smile. "I'm glad," he whispered.

"You're going to be OK, Sammy. I've got you. I'm going to take care of you. Make you better. That's my job right?" Dean asked.

"You're job is to get on with the rest of your life, Dean. You've done everything for me." Sam closed his eyes.

"Sam?" Dean asked. He touched Sam's neck looking for a pulse. He didn't find one. "No, no, no, no." He had wanted to make up for the time he had terrorized Sam. Wanted to help all the wounds from Gordon heal.

"SAM!" he yelled, somehow hoping he could call his brother's life force back to his body.


	13. Chapter 13

Andy was running. Then it occurred to him, he didn't have to expend all that energy. "Turn around and go back," Andy shouted.

Bobby stopped in his tracks turned around and headed back to Sam and Dean. "No, I have to catch up with that kid," he said to himself. He couldn't control his actions, though.

He finally got back to the little town and found Dean on his knees cradling Sam. "Is he dead?" Bobby asked.

Dean just nodded.

"Want me to build the pyre?" Bobby asked. He felt like he was intruding and he wanted to do something to help.

"Not yet."

What did that mean? "We have to burn his remains, so that something evil doesn't use him."

"Help me find a bed to put him in," Dean said, ignoring the whole burning suggestion.

"He's gone, son. He doesn't need a bed," Bobby said as gently as he could.

"Bobby, please," Dean sobbed.

Bobby relented. If Dean needed the night to say good-bye it probably wouldn't do any harm.

SSS

Andy built a fire and fell asleep.

"Howdy, Andy."

Andy saw the yellow-eyed man. The one his crazy long-lost twin brother had told him about a few months ago. The one Sam had informed him was a demon yesterday. Was that really only yesterday?

"I'm dreaming," Andy observed.

"I'm dealing with a genius," the demon rolled his eyes. "Well, you definitely, really, really weren't the one I was betting on, but you won, so you get to lead an army of demons."

"I don't want to lead an army of demons," Andy said. He wanted to take it all back. He hadn't meant to kill Sam. He had just panicked. Sam had been nice to him. Helped him save Tracy.

"Why not?" the demon asked amazed. Who would want to lead an army of any sort? Power was great.

"Demons are evil," Andy answered, wondering how smart he was being.

"Are they? Who says?"

"Everybody knows that," Andy said.

"Because that's what you've been told. People used to think the world was flat, the sun went around the earth and the moon was made of green cheese. All false. Demons aren't evil. We're just misunderstood. You know about being misunderstood, don't you Andy?"

Andy nodded. He sure did. "But aren't you going to use this demon army to kill people?" That was evil. No two ways about that.

"No, we just want our own place here on earth. We have as much right as people. And as head of the army, they would bow down to you. People would respect you, Andy."

That did it. That was his one desire. To be respected. "OK."

SSS

Neither Dean nor Bobby had slept all night. Dean had spent the night in the chair next to the bed they had found for Sam just staring at him. He hadn't said a word.

Bobby had sat at the table in the next room watching Dean. When the sun came up, he said, "It's time."

"No," Dean said.

"Look, Dean, I have an idea I know what you're thinking. Your daddy sold his soul for you, and you want to do the same for Sam."

Dean averted his eyes. Bobby was right. That was what he was going to do. And Bobby wasn't going to stop him.

"I know there's no way I can make you not do this, but for Sam's sake will you please hear me out?"

That stopped Dean. He had supposed Bobby was going to try to stop him for the sake of his soul. Not for Sam.

"You became a vampire and kidnapped Sam. You obsessed over him and fed off of him and generally terrorized him."

"Bobby, I," Dean sarted.

Bobby put his hand up. "I'm not saying this to make you feel bad. Just let me finish. Then, Gordon comes along and snatches him away and tortures him. We saw the brand marks from the poker, and he was naked in very cold country. We get him away from that and before he even wakes up, he's whisked away by the yellow-eyed demon. We have no idea what went on here, but I think we can both agree that it wasn't good. Son, if you love him as much as you say, as much as I know you do, you'll let him rest. Sam had a hard life. Harder than most. Do you really think he would want to come back, or would you be doing it for you?"

Dean hung his head down. He didn't say anything for a full minute, then he whispered, "Can you go build the pyre, while I say good-bye?"

"Of course. You take as much time as you need."

When Bobby had gone out, Dean turned to Sam. "I'm sorry, Sammy. I wanted to protect you. Sometimes too much. The time I spent as a vampire wasn't the only time I smothered you. I know that. But, even with all my precautions, it looks like your destiny just caught up with you. I'm just relieved that the demon wasn't able to use you for whatever it is he wanted you for. That's the one good thing about this whole nightmare. And, Sammy, I hope that wherever you are, you can forgive me. I hope you're up in Heaven and can find Mom. And Jessica. Maybe you can finally be happy. Maybe you can be normal up there. I built my whole life around you and I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. But, Bobby's right. If I brought you back it would be for me. You never wanted this life. It kept coming back for you and now you're finally free and I'm not going to deprive you of that. This will be the one thing that I truly do for you with no selfish motive."

Bobby came in a few minutes later. "Pyre's ready. Are you?"

Dean was sobbing, but he nodded yes. "Oh, Sammy."

Bobby helped him carry Sam out and they laid him on the pyre as gently as they could. "Bye, Sammy," Dean said and nodded to Bobby who lit it on fire.

"We'll see you later, son," Bobby said. "Knowing the hunting life, probably sooner rather than later.

They stood there and watched until the fire burned down to nothing. Then they started the hike back to the Impala. Neither one of them wanted anything more to do with this place.


	14. Chapter 14

Azazel was in conference with the king of the crossroads, Crowley. "I heard Dean burned the body," Azazel said. This wasn't good. Why would he do that if he was planning on selling his soul for him?

"Yes, well that won't be a bar if he makes a deal, of course," Crowley mused.

"Where did you get your host?" Azazel asked. "You sound so arrogant with that stupid British accent.

"Look, just hold off on opening the devil's gate for a couple of days. I'll get Dean to sell his soul," Crowley promised.

"You'd better," Azazel threatened. " Angels and demons have been in on this plan together for decades. We can't have it derail now because Dean decides to act out of character and not protect his little Sammy. We've been studying their personalities their whole lives to come up with a plan that works."

"And we have. It was just a temporary bout of sanity on Dean's part. He'll come around," Crowley reassured.

SSS

One week later

Dean and Bobby were at Bobby's where'd they been since Sam died. "We need to find Andy. I'm going to kill him for what he did to Sam," Dean said for the millionth time.

"We got our feelers out. There are no signs of demon activity anywhere," Bobby pointed out.

"You don't find that the least bit troubling?"

"Of course I do, but what are we going to do? Drive aimlessly around the country and yell Andy out the window and hope he answers?"

Dean shot Bobby a look that could kill and stormed out of the house. Bobby didn't understand. He knew that Bobby loved Sam, but it wasn't the same. Sam was everything to Dean. Everything.

He kept walking until he came to the creek just off Bobby's property. Bobby used to take him and Sam fishing there when they were kids. That was before Sam knew anything about the supernatural. Those were some of Dean's favorite times. There weren't actually any fish in the creek, but that didn't matter. He closed his eyes and could almost hear a five-year-old Sammy's giggles. To say he was going to miss that kid was a massive understatement.

He opened his eyes and jumped back. "Who the hell are you?"

"Name's Crowley. I heard you might be in need of my services."

"What services would those be?" Dean asked. He knew better than to think this was a human. He would have heard a human approach. Whatever this was had materialized in front of him. He knew that even if his eyes had been closed. He'd be willing to bet demon, but he'd wait to see what it had to say first.

"I make deals. There's not a crossroads here, which is my normal venue, but I can still work here."

"What do you want?" Dean asked.

"It's what you want. I heard your brother died. Don't you want him back? What kind of a big brother are you? Letting him rot like that?"

Dean just glared.

"I can bring little Sammy back. It doesn't matter that you cremated him. All I want in return is your soul. Which is more important? Your soul or your brother? I mean what have you done of worth? I heard you spent a recent week torturing your brother?"

"Shut up!" Dean said, but he was wavering. This joker was right. Sam was more important than his soul. But then he remembered what Bobby had said. Sam was at rest. If he did this, he would be doing it for himself.

"Come on, Dean. It's Sammy. Tell you what. I'll give you extra time. Twenty-five years," Crowley said. No way Dean would survive that long, but he didn't have to know that. Normally he would never think of shortchanging someone on a crossroads deal, but this wasn't just any deal. This was THE deal.

Dean furrowed his brow in confusion. What was with the hard sell? He thought the demon had just wanted his soul and he could understand that. But this guy seemed more interested in bringing Sam back instead of his soul? And as much as he wanted Sam back, if a demon wanted it that much, then there was no way he could do it. "No!" He turned his back on Crowley and went back to the house.

SSS

"I think I oversold it," Crowley told Azazel.

"Turns out it doesn't matter. I did some research and have a plan B."

"What is it?" Crowley asked, intrigued.

"Like I'd tell you. You're clearly incompetent. Get out of my sight." Crowley might think he was the "King of the Crossroads", but Azazel was Lucifer's right hand man. So much more important.

SSS

Andy stood at the rail lines where the yellow-eyed demon had asked him to be. "Are you ready to perform your first task?"

"This will bring me power and respect?" Andy asked.

"This first step will release your army. The next steps will enable you to lead it. It will take a few months, though. Can you be patient?"

Andy grinned. "I've been patient my whole life."

The demon pulled out the Colt and handed it to Andy. "Go that way. When you come to a crypt, stick this gun in the hole and turn it. That will let the demons out."

"Aren't you coming?" Andy asked. He was a little afraid of facing all those demons alone.

"I can't go that way, yet. But I'll join you shortly."

SSS

Andy arrived at the crypt. He looked at the gun. Should he really do this? The yellow-eyed demon made leading a demon army seem like such a reasonable thing to do, but was it really? Then he shrugged. He had been the good guy all his life. OK, he'd used his mind thing to get out of paying some bills and some freebies, but considering what he could have done, he'd practically been a saint. It was time for him to get all the good things of this world. He breathed in deeply, stuck the gun in the hole turned it and stepped back as it opened.

Black smoke exploded all around him. He ducked for cover. He watched as all the smoke raced off to where the demon was waiting. Black smoke wasn't all that was coming out. There were ghosts, too. At least he assumed they were ghosts. Sam would probably have known. Andy felt a familiar twinge of guilt at the thought of Sam.

The demon popped up beside him. "Good job, Andy. Go and follow the smoke. They'll take you to where you need to go."

"What about you?" Andy asked.

"I have something to do here. I'll join you tomorrow."

Andy nodded and left. He would have felt more comfortable around unknown demons with the demon he knew around.

Azazel watched the exiting ghosts until the one he wanted appeared. The he grabbed his arms. "Not so fast, John." Time for plan B, he thought to himself.


	15. Chapter 15

John tried to wriggle out of the demon's grasp. He wasn't solid, but that meant nothing to a demon.

"You're still in the same body? It's been like 100 years," John said. He didn't really care, but he thought if he could engage the demon in conversation, that would be a few more minutes he was topside.

"It's been 100 years down there. It's been almost a year up here. Nobody explained the time difference to you?"

"Guess not," John said, wondering if that were true. Couldn't see any reason to lie about that, but since when did demons need reasons to lie. He tried to wrest his arm away again, but to no avail.

"John, a demon is stronger than a ghost. Care to go for a little field trip, or should I just toss you right back in?"

"Field trip," John said, hoping he was choosing the lesser of two evils.

SSS

John popped up at Bobby's. Dean and Bobby were sitting at the kitchen table with a bottle of whiskey between them.

"Dean," John said.

"He can't hear or see us, John. We're invisible."

"Why?" John asked. "What's the point of this?"

"I want you to see how your son is doing? You might be able to make him feel better. You'd want to make him feel better wouldn't you?"

"Bobby, are you sure I did the right thing?" Dean asked.

"Yes, Dean. We've been through this a million times. Sam wouldn't want you selling your soul to bring him back," Bobby said patiently. He would explain this as many times as it took. The alternative was unthinkable.

"Sammy's dead?" John asked.

"Yes, John. And as you can see Dean is not dealing well."

"He'll be fine," John said. He wasn't sure of that, but he didn't know what the demon wanted.

"As you heard he wants to sell his soul, but Bobby won't let him. How do you feel about that?"

"Obviously I hope Bobby's successful in keeping him from doing it. You want something. What is it?"

"So glad you asked," the demon said and brought them back to the cemetery. "There are two ways a demon can bring someone back from the dead. One is a deal for a soul."

"Yeah. But Dean's not selling his soul. If you're thinking of getting me to talk him into it, you can forget it." Why on earth would the demon think he would do that? He didn't want either one of his son's in Hell. And even though people kept accusing him of favoring Sammy, he would never choose one son over the other.

"Yes, but there is another way," the demon reminded him.

"What's the other way?" John asked.

"We can return a soul that has already been sold."

"So, if you return my soul, Sam can be brought back from the dead. What does returning my soul mean exactly?"

"We'd let you out of Hell and you'd go to Heaven."

"Sounds good. But, why would you do that? You bought my soul. Why would you want to give it back? Why do you want to bring Sam back?"

"We don't want either of those things," Azazel lied, "but we need you to do something for us and those two things would be your prize."

"What?" John asked. He knew the price for so great a thing would be pretty hefty.

"Alistair has been trying to get you to torture people, but you won't. You torture just one person and you're out and Sam's alive."

"Why is this so important to you guys?" John asked. He had been wondering for some time. First Alistair had just offered to let him off the rack. Then he had offered a fast track to demonhood. That was a big deal down there. He knew that even if he wasn't interested. Then he was offered water. There was only one glassful of water in Hell every day for the whole place. A rare commodity indeed. He kept saying no because he didn't want to torture, but he knew there had to some other ulterior motive.

"Does it really matter, John? I know what you've said no to before, but come on. Getting out for good and your son's life. It's one person, John. We'll make sure it was a really bad one if that will make you feel better."

John sighed. This was an offer he couldn't refuse. "OK," he acquiesced.

The demon grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss. "I really wish you would stop doing that," John complained.

The demon reopened the gate and shoved John back inside. "Two birds with one stone," he said and skipped away. Yes, he actually skipped.

SSS

The demon went back to Cold Oak where Sam's body, or ashes, were. He waited. An hour later, Sam materialized in front of him. He looked exactly as he did when he had died a week or so earlier. He was shirtless and his hands were cuffed in front of him. "What happened?" Sam asked. "I thought I died. Where's Dean?"

"You did die. Your father did us a favor, so we brought you back. I think Dean's at Bobby's, but that doesn't concern you." The demon touched Sam and he passed out.

SSS

Andy had followed the demon smoke to a warehouse. He was inside with two demons who had found bodies to possess. They told him they had to wait for Yellow Eyes to explain the next step to him. He was getting a little impatient, so was glad to see him pop up in front of them.

"It's time. The first seal has been broken," he said.

The two demons, one woman and a little girl, clapped their hands. "Have you been properly introduced?" the demon asked.

"No, we were waiting for you," the little girl said.

"Andy, this is the first demon ever, Lillith," Azazel said, indicating the little girl. "And, this is Ruby. She will be your guide on this journey."

Andy looked over appreciatively. Ruby was a hot blonde about 20 years old. He couldn't wait for the journey to begin.


	16. Chapter 16

The yellow-eyed demon popped to where he had sent Sam. Sam was still sleeping. The demon went over and ripped off the handcuffs. He had wondered what was up with that. When he had grabbed Sam for the Cold Oak contest he had been in the back seat of his stupid brother's stupid car. Cuffed and shirtless. He hadn't minded, though. The plan was for Sam to lose so that Dean would sell his soul. Hadn't happened, but at least they had come up with a perfectly good backup plan. It had worked and now here they were.

Sam woke up with a start when he felt the cuffs coming off. He looked around. The first thing he saw was the demon, of course, but he also noticed he was in a very nice bedroom. The demon was handing him a shirt. He hurriedly put it on. "What do you want with me?" he asked.

"Nothing, Sammy. But in a few months you can be the king of the world."

"What are you talking about? Is this about leading your stupid demon army?" Sam asked. He was not going to do that.

"Well, what have humans gotten you lately?" the demon asked. "You were in pretty rough shape when I brought you to Cold Oak."

"Still beats demons," Sam said.

"Well, we'll see how you feel in a few months. In the meantime, you'll be my guest here."

"Where is here, anyway?" Sam asked.

"Beverly Hills. We've possessed a famous actor and his entire entourage. They will all be at your beck and call. You can have anything you want," the demon promised.

"I want to leave."

"Anything but that," the demon amended. "But, whatever you want to eat or wear, or watch on TV. If you want a pet, just say the word. You probably never got to have a dog as a child. It's never too late."

The demon left and Sam suddenly wondered what had happened to Andy if he was supposed to lead the demon army. And what was with the wait?

SSS

"I have to drink what?" Andy asked Ruby.

"My blood. Or any demon's blood, really."

"Why?" Andy asked.

"It's how you get your powers. The more you drink, the stronger you'll be," Ruby coaxed.

"OK," Andy shrugged. Ruby had made a cut in her arm and Andy bent down to drink. He had tasted blood a time or two in his life. Nose bleed gone nuts. Accidentally biting his lip. This blood tasted different. It was like blood with something very bitter mixed in. But, if it would make him strong, he would drink it. He had never been strong before. Even with his mind gift, he hadn't felt right using it. But, now, it was different. Hearing all that was going to be his, he just wanted it. And this bitter tasting blood was making him want it all the more.

"That's enough," Ruby said. Demons could bleed to death, just like people. It took more, but still.

"So, what's the plan?" Andy asked. "How am I going to get all that is mine?"

Ruby restrained herself from rolling her eyes. This guy was so naïve. But, he couldn't know the truth, until everything was accomplished.

"We need to break 66 seals in order to free Lucifer," Ruby explained.

"Free Lucifer?" Andy asked. "But then won't he be in charge?"

Smarter than he looks, Ruby thought. "Yes, but you'll be his right hand man. You will have freed him and he will lavish you with gifts. The demons will only follow you to accomplish this goal."

Andy nodded. "OK, then. Let's get started.

SSS

"Dean, maybe we should get back to hunting," Bobby said. "Sam wouldn't want us to spend the rest of our life wallowing."

"The first thing I want to hunt is Andy," Dean said venomously.

"That's a good idea, but he is cloaked." Bobby and Dean spun around at the new voice that had appeared from nowhere.

"Who are you?" Dean asked.

"My name is Castiel. I'm an angel of the Lord."

Dean and Bobby exchanged a glance. "There's no such thing," Dean denied.

The house became dark, but Castiel glowed with light. They also saw the shadow of his wings on the wall behind him.

"I still don't believe you, but for argument's sake, what would an angel want with us?" Dean asked.

When the devil's gate was opened, the first demon, Lillith, escaped. Now, she and the boy king, Andy, will break the seals to set Lucifer free. We must stop that."

"Well, I would think a whole Heaven full of angels would have a better chance than me and the old man," Dean argued.

"Don't call me old, boy," Bobby groused.

"Heaven doesn't want to stop it. They want the Apocalypse to happen. But, I don't. I've come to care about humans and the Apocalypse would destroy most, if not all, of them. I've come to enlist your help, because as soon as the other angels find out what I'm up to, I'll be killed. At the very least, I'll be stripped of my powers."

"How are we supposed to stop Andy? Didn't you just say he was cloaked, or whatever?" Dean asked. He didn't really trust this guy, but any lead to Andy was one he would take. Andy had done the unthinkable. He had killed his brother. Dean really knew it was his fault, though. He had failed to protect him.

"We look for signs. The way you've always hunted. We'll try to find Sam, too," Castiel said.

"OK, now I know you're bogus. Sam's dead." Dean was totally pissed at this guy. He was trying to use Sam.

"No, he's not. Your father made a deal. He broke the first seal, got out of Hell and went to Heaven and your brother left Heaven and came back to earth."

"Well, where is he?" Dean asked.

"The yellow-eyed demon has him. He's cloaked himself and Sam. But, he may intend to use him to help break some seals. If so, we may find him."

Dean didn't know what to think. He didn't believe in angels. He just couldn't hope that Sam was alive. It would kill him to find out he wasn't. But on the other hand, if there was the slightest possibility…

"I'm in," he said.

"You sure, Dean?" Bobby asked. This sounded beyond stupid, but he was having pretty much the same thoughts as Dean. Any chance Sam might be alive they had to find him and help him.

Dean nodded.

"OK, then," Bobby agreed.


	17. Chapter 17

Sam eventually got up and tried to open the window. He wasn't surprised. He was sure the whole house was supernaturally sealed. He got up and ventured out into the hallway and down the grand staircase. He had never been in so nice a place since leaving Stanford.

"May we help you, sir?" a man asked. A man that Sam assumed was a demon.

"Why am I being kept here?" Sam asked.

"I'm sorry. We're not at liberty to answer your questions. However, if you would like anything to eat or drink, or if we can make your stay here any more comfortable, please ask."

This was too surreal for Sam to deal with at the moment. Just to see what would happen, he walked past the demon and to the front door. Nothing happened when he tried to open it. "I'd like some fresh air," he said.

"Certainly, just accompany me to the back door," the demon said.

Sam figured this was pretty pointless, but followed him anyway. Sure enough, the back door led into an enclosed pool area. He asked to be left alone. He looked at the fence. He started to climb it, but before he had moved up two feet of it, a demon was gently prying him off. "Maybe that's enough outdoor time for today."

Sam went back up to his room and lay down on his stomach. Eventually he fell asleep.

SSS

Sam woke up to the feeling of his arms being pulled behind him. Before he could react, he felt the cold of steel and heard the metallic snap of cuffs being placed on his wrists. Why did the demons have to bother? They seemed to have this place pretty locked down.

"It's OK, Sammy."

"Dean?" Sam asked.

"I'm here to rescue you," Dean said as he helped Sam to stand up.

"Then what's with the cuffs?" Sam asked.

"Just a second, Sammy. I'm hungry." Sam felt Dean's fangs tear into his shoulder. No! Dean was cured. He remembered.

When Dean was finished drinking, Sam asked, "I thought you were cured?"

"Those vamp cures never last forever." Then Dean attached a collar to Sam's neck. There was a leash attached to it and the other end of the leash was firmly affixed to Dean's wrist.

"What happened to the demons?" Sam asked.

"Do you prefer them to me?" Dean hissed and knocked Sam to the floor.

"No, of course not," Sam appeased. "I was just wondering. I tried to escape earlier, but the place was locked down.

"I exorcised them." Dean said, omitting any explanation about how he got in in the first place. He took hold of Sam's arm, dragged him up and guided him to the door. "We have to get out of here. You keep getting kidnapped. First, Gordon, then Yellow Eyes. The only way for me to keep you safe is to never let go of you."

"What do you mean, never let go?" Sam asked, afraid of the answer as they started down the stairs.

"I'm going to make sure I'm in constant physical contact. Hence the leash."

This was Sam's worst nightmare. "How will you hunt?" Sam didn't really want to aid Dean's hunting of innocent people for food, but anything that would get him unattached.

"That's where they come in," Dean said. They had just exited the mansion and there were four teenage boys standing on the lawn. "I turned them. I'm getting a nest together."

"Is that him?" one of them asked.

"This is my Sammy." Dean smiled and reached up to caress Sam's cheek. Sam tried to avoid the touch. The demon who had spoken rushed up and held Sam's head still for Dean.

"We'll help keep him safe," another other one said. He came up and stood to Sam's side and took painful hold of his other arm.

Dean let go of the arm that he was holding and the first boy let go of Sam's face and took equally painful hold of the arm Dean had relinquished.

The other two vampires came up, knelt down in front of him and each gripped an ankle in one hand and a knee in the other.

Dean stood behind Sam and looped one arm around his throat and the other around his waist and pulled him tight up against him. He was completely immobilized. "See, you'll always be safe now."

"Dean, please let me go," Sam begged.

Dean removed his arm from around Sam's waist and brought his hand up to cover Sam's mouth. At the same time he tightened his hold on Sam's neck, so that he was having trouble breathing.

"If I can't have you, Sammy, nobody can," Dean whispered.

SSS

Sam woke screaming. None of the demons came though. They probably knew nothing could really be hurting him. That was a terrible nightmare, but it had given Sam an idea.

SSS

"The first seal that needs to be broken is the raising of Samhain," Castiel explained to Dean and Bobby.

"Who's that?" Dean asked.

"A very powerful demon. When he's raised, he'll raise ghosts and zombies, and all kinds of things that you don't like very much."

"So, we have to stop it. But how?" Bobby asked.

"It needs to be done tonight in a certain cemetery. I will zap us there when it's time."

SSS

Andy and Ruby were waiting until nightfall before they performed the final sacrifice. Ruby had talked him into killing two people over the last two days.

"You'll be saving the world," she had told him. "Everybody thinks Lucifer is evil, but he's not. He just knows a different way. A better way."

"But sacrificing innocent people?" Andy had asked. Yeah, he had killed Ava and Sam, but Ava had killed plenty of people and him and Sam were next on her hit list. And Sam, even for all his protestations, was probably going to kill him. That dude was huge. He had to strike first or he wouldn't have stood a chance.

"They are far from innocent," Ruby had explained. "The first one is a child molestor. The second one killed her parents for the inheritance." Lies, but Andy didn't need to know that. She would tell him whatever she needed to. As time went by, and he killed more and more people, his conscience would offer less and less resistance. That's how it was with sin.


	18. Chapter 18

Andy was waiting at the cemetery for Ruby. She said she would bring him the final sacrifice. "No way," he yelled when she walked in.

"It has to be done," Ruby said. "You want to raise Lucifer and be rewarded, don't you?"

"But that's just a kid," Andy protested, looking at the five year old girl in Ruby's arms. Mercifully she was asleep and had no idea what was going on.

Of course it was a child, Ruby thought to herself. Samhain could only be raised after the sacrifice of a man, woman, and child.

"Maybe you're right. It is just a child," Ruby said, starting to back away to bring the child outside. "This child's life is more important than your reward.

"No. Wait," Andy said.

Ruby tried her hardest not to smile. Demon blood corrupted-and corrupted quickly. "So, you want to kill her now?"

"Does it have to be a kid? Can't we kill an adult."

"No, it has to be a child." Ruby lay her down on the altar, and stepped back. This had to be his decision. But Ruby knew that once he willingly killed a child, he would be all theirs. There was no turning back from that kind of evil.

Andy stepped forward with the knife, when the door flung open.

SSS

Sam headed downstairs.

"May I help you sir?"

"I'm hungry," Sam said.

"What would you like to eat?"

"What is there?" Sam asked.

"We can go out and get you anything you'd like," the demon said. He was writhing inside, but Azazel had told him to treat Sam Winchester like royalty. No attitude and give him whatever he wants, just make sure he doesn't leave or hurt himself.

"I'm really hungry. I don't want to wait."

"Well, come on back to the kitchen and we'll see what's there."

Sam went to the kitchen. He had already looked around the rest of the house and found it empty, so when he saw ten demons sitting around a table, he figured this was everyone. He started to say an exorcism. If he exorcised them all their lock spellwork would be gone and he could get out of there.

One of the demons threw Sam up against the wall and he lost consciousness.

"Do you know how much trouble we're going to get in for that?" one of the other demons shrieked.

"If we had sat here and let him exorcised us, he would have escaped and we would be in just as much trouble," the first demon defended.

"Let's just get him secured upstairs and call Azazel," another demon suggested. If they were going to get in trouble they may as well get it over with.

Two of the demons carried Sam upstairs and tied him to the bed and gagged him for good measure. Knowing him he might try to shout and exorcism from there.

SSS

"We won't let this happen!"

"Who is that?" Andy asked Ruby.

"They're demons. They don't want Lucifer to rise. They think that Lucifer is anti-demon, which is ridiculous. He created us after all."

Andy decided that didn't really matter to him. After all, he wasn't a demon and the devil was sure to reward him no matter his feelings about them.

Ruby pulled out a knife and plunged it into the first demon. He glowed red and spluttered to the ground. There was one female demon left and she and Ruby circled each other.

Just then, Castiel, Dean, and Bobby popped onto the scene. Ruby gained the upper hand on the other demon and stabbed her.

"What the hell was that?" Dean asked as he watched the light show.

"Demon killing blade. Very rare. That may be the only one," Castiel said.

"Now, Andy!" Ruby screamed. She recognized an angel when she saw one. He was way more powerful than her.

Andy plunged the knife into the child.

"NO!" Dean yelled. He had been distracted by the demon fight and hadn't noticed Andy in the corner with the child.

"The seal has been broken," Castiel said, approaching Ruby, "but we can prevent more seals by killing these two."

"Stop that man," Andy shouted at Dean and Bobby.

Dean and Bobby immediately grabbed at Castiel. He shook them off, but in the meantime, Andy had slipped out the door and Ruby had smoked out of her body.

"I should give you immunity," Castiel said and touched Dean and Bobby's foreheads.

They felt a burning sensation. "Ow, what was that?" Dean asked.

"It's power so that you are immune to psychic suggestions."

"Can you make us immune to getting thrown around by demons?" Bobby asked.

"No."

SSS

When Sam awoke he found himself tied to the bed and gagged with the demon sitting at the foot of his bed.

"I heard what you did, Sammy. That wasn't very good guest behavior. However, I want you to enjoy the rest of your stay, so I believe I have a solution."

He reached over and touched Sam's throat. Sam felt pain like he had never felt before and he passed out.

When he came to, the demon was still there, but he was untied and the gag was off. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. "I've made you mute," the demon explained. "Anything you want, just write it out and it will be given to you, but your one weapon against demons has been taken away." With that the demon disappeared again.


	19. Chapter 19

Six months later

"There's only two seals left," Castiel said.

The angel and two hunters had been trying unsuccessfully to stop seals. The main problem was that though Castiel knew what the seals were, he didn't always know where they would be broken. Andy and Ruby had been successfully evading them.

SSS

Azazel popped into the mansion. Sam was watching TV. He hadn't wanted to ask the demons for anything, but the head demon could read minds, so he was getting whatever he wanted anyway—books, his favorite foods, they had even taken up the yellow-eyed demon's suggestion and got him a dog. The golden retriever was currently sleeping half on him, half off him. Sam was absently scratching one of its ears.

"I'm going to give you your voice back. You won't try anything." It wasn't really a question but Sam shook his head.

"It's almost time."

"Time for what?" Sam asked. It came out all raspy. He hadn't spoken for so long.

"Lucifer will be rising soon. He wants you to be his host," Azazel explained.

"What do you mean by host?" Sam asked, already knowing the answer.

"He wants to possess you. The problem is Lucifer isn't a demon. He's an angel. Angels need permission."

"That's not going to happen," Sam said.

"But we've treated you like royalty. You owe us," Azazel said.

"You've kept me prisoner for months," Sam countered.

"We've kept you safe from those who would harm you. People like Gordon Walker. And other creatures like vampires and ghosts. I suggest you reconsider, Sammy," the demon said.

"Never," Sam replied.

"Fine. We'll go with plan B. Alistair!"

The overly obsequious demon who had always been there with anything Sam even thought he might want appeared.

"Plan B," Azazel said and disappeared.

Alistair grinned. "I got to torture your Daddy in hell for a century. Now I get to torture you for a couple of weeks. By the time I 'm done, you'll be begging to say yes."

SSS

Two weeks later

Lillith, Ruby, and Andy were in the convent. "The final seal is for you to kill me," Lillith said.

"Using my psychic powers," Andy confirmed.

"Yes, but it must be done at the stroke of midnight," Ruby finished.

Andy looked at the clock. It was 11:30.

SSS

"The last seal will fall tonight at midnight," Castiel said.

"Where?" Dean asked.

"I am trying to unlock that information as we speak."

Bobby was off on a tow job, so it was just Dean and Castiel.

"Dean, for whatever reason they wanted Sam back, it will have to do with this. He may very well be there."

SSS

Azazel popped into Sam's room where he was currently being beaten with a whip by Alistair. "Really? A whip?" he asked.

"I had to take a little break from the heavier stuff. After all, I'm not allowed to let him die."

"Well, you can leave off now. It's time. Are you ready to say yes, Sam?"

Sam looked at him through his blood-encrusted eyelids. He opened his swelled mouth to say no, but it was too hard. He gave one shake of his head and nearly passed out from the pain.

"Let's go," Azazel said.

SSS

"It's time," Ruby said, as Azazel and Sam popped in.

"Sam? You're dead. I killed you. But you look almost dead."

"Andy, now," Ruby urged.

Andy concentrated all his power towards Lillith.

SSS

"Found it," Castiel said. He touched Dean's forehead and they reappeared at the convent where all the action was taking place.

Andy gave one final burst of energy and Lillith let out a final burst of white light and died.

"You're too late," Ruby informed Dean and the angel.

Castiel stepped forward and put his hand on Ruby's forehead and she died.

"Dean?" Sam murmured.

Dean spun around and saw his brother and the yellow-eyed demon. He hadn't noticed them in the corner with all the action taking place in the center of the room. Forgetting about Andy, he ran over to Sam. "What did you do to him?" Dean asked the demon.

"What do you care? You left him for dead. Demons are Sammy's real friends."

"Friends? It looks like you beat him to within an inch of his life."

While the yellow-eyed demon and Dean argued, Lillith's blood was making a circle around her and the room started shaking. "He's coming," Castiel yelled.

As soon as he finished saying that a bright light filled the room and Castiel fell to the ground and light emitted from him.

"Looks like Lucifer killed your angel friend," Azazel laughed.

Angel? Sam thought.

Through the noise, Sam heard a voice. "Sam, will you let me in?"

He knew that was Lucifer. "No," he whispered.

"No what?" Dean asked. All he heard was noise.

"Andy?" Lucifer asked. "Will you let me in?" This was only going to be a temporary back up plan. He needed Sam, but Sam wasn't ready.

"YES!" Andy shouted at the top of his lungs. He had done all the work. There was no way Sam was getting his prize.


	20. Chapter 20

Lucifer entered Andy. The shaking and the noise stopped. Andy/Lucifer walked up to the trio sitting in the corner. Dean stood up and stepped in front of Sam. Lucifer ignored the two of them, though and spoke to Azazel. "Why did you hurt my chosen one?"

"I was just trying to get him to conform to your will," Azazel protested.

"Well, your plan didn't exactly work, did it? But that's not even the point. Nobody was to hurt the chosen one." Lucifer leaned over and touched Azazel's head and he died.

Lucifer then knelt down to speak to Sam. "Stay away from my brother," Dean shouted.

Lucifer smiled up at him and flung Dean against the wall.

"Leave him alone," Sam said. He knew he wouldn't have been very intimidating to the devil in the best of circumstances, but that had to be truly pathetic.

"I won't hurt him, Sammy. We need two brothers."

"For what?" Sam asked.

"I need to possess you and my brother Michael needs to possess Dean. Then the four of us will fight to the death."

Sam and Dean exchanged a look. "But you need our permissions," Sam remembered.

"You will both give them of your own free will. However, you're not ready. That's OK. You soon will be. In the meantime, here's a gift." He touched Sam and he was healed.

The devil disappeared and Dean slid down from the wall. "You OK, Sammy?"

Sam nodded and then said, "No. I don't want to be possessed by the devil."

"We won't say yes. We'll fight this together," Dean said. "You with me?"

Sam looked at Dean. He remembered his dream. He stood up. He backed away. "Are you sure that vampire cure was permanent?"

"What?" That seemed like years ago to Dean. "Yes. It's permanent."

"OK," Sam nodded. "I'm with you." He couldn't do this on his own.

SSS

Andy was aware of what was going on. He felt so stupid. Lucifer was just going to use him until Sam said yes. Then he would leave him either dead or a drooling mess. There would be no reward for freeing him. Lucifer had no loyalty or gratitude for anyone. The only reason he was acting nice to Sam was to get his precious yes. Why hadn't Andy listened to Sam when he had told him not to listen to the yellow eyed demon? Why hadn't he stayed true to himself instead of trying to get power and respect? Why had he drunk demon blood? Seriously, who does that?

SSS

Two weeks later

Dean noticed the fear in Sam's eyes. He was afraid of him. Dean didn't know how to fix that. Sam was sleeping now.

Sam was having another nightmare. Of course, he didn't know that.

"Sammy, wake up," Dean sing-songed.

"Dean? What's going on?"

"Cure's over."

"You promised it was permanent," Sam accused.

"I lied. Had to make sure you were with me when I turned. Bobby knows we're here we have to go." Dean pulled Sam to his feet and shoved him into the car. When Dean had been driving a few minutes and was on a back road, Sam reached over and jerked the wheel hard. The car crashed into a rock wall on the driver's side and Sam jumped out the passenger's side and started running.

Dean caught up with him shortly. Why was he always forgetting how fast vampires were. Sam was still trying to run when Dean grabbed him from behind and placed a cloth over his nose and mouth. Sam recognized the smell of chloroform.

When Sam woke up, they were in the car. They were pulling up to an old farm house. Dean drove the car into the barn and stopped. He opened Sam's door and pulled him out. He pushed a button on the wall and a section of the floor opened up. Sam realized he would have never known it was there. There were stairs leading down from it and Dean shoved him ahead of him. Sam's leg couldn't support him and he tumbled to the bottom. Dean ran down next to him and pushed another button. The floor closed above them and they were plunged into complete darkness. Sam knew that as a vampire, Dean could see in the dark, but he couldn't.

"The great thing about this place Is nobody will be able to find it. "

"How did you find it?" Sam asked.

"I tortured the former owners last night before I ate them."

Sam shuddered. "Can't you turn on the lights?"

"I don't need to. I can see just fine," Dean assured him.

Sam felt himself being lifted up and walked forward. He was pushed with his back against what felt like a support beam.

"Put your hands around it behind you," Dean instructed.

Sam did so and Dean duct taped them together. Then he bent down and wound duct tape all the way around Sam and the beam from his feet up to his neck. Sam couldn't move anything except for his head. Sam was convinced Dean could read his mind when he felt his forehead being duct taped to the beam. Now he was completely immobile.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked. He felt Dean doing something.

"Well, I've duct taped you to the beam, and now I'm tying you." Sam felt the rope being wound all the way from his feet to his neck again.

"This is a bit of overkill, don't you think?" Sam asked.

Dean didn't answer but pulled Sam heard chains clinking. He could see where this was going. Sure enough, Dean wrapped the chain up the whole length of his body and padlocked it.

"Why are you doing this?" Sam asked.

Sam felt Dean stick some kind of cloth in his mouth and then put a piece of duct tape over it. "Now you can't say yes to Lucifer. I'm protecting you."

Sam wanted to point out that Lucifer could just rip the duct tape off if he found them, but obviously couldn't.

Sam was startled to hear Dean's voice right next to his ear. "I told you before, Sammy. If I can't have you, nobody can."

He heard Dean walking away from him. He saw light shine down from the upstairs and watched Dean walk up the stairs. Dean turned to look at him. "I wish it could have been different, Sammy. But you were always leaving me. Now, I'm leaving you. I hope your last couple of days are filled with regret for not appreciating me. But don't worry. I'll be back next week to salt and burn your body." With that Sam was alone and plunged into darkness.

Sam sat upright in bed.

"Sammy?" Dean asked. "Nightmare?"

"Yeah," Sam admitted.

"Tell me about it."

Sam shook his head.

"Tell me," Dean insisted gently, but firmly.

Sam related his nightmare to Dean.

"Was I really that lame as a vampire?" Dean asked when Sam was done.

"What?" Sam asked. He wasn't sure what reaction he was expecting, but that wasn't it.

"I mean, come on, that was kind of over the top don't you think? And stupid. If Lucifer could find you, he could rip the tape off your mouth."

Sam couldn't help but smile. He had omitted the thought from his dream narration. "Yeah, he could."

Dean turned serious. "I'm sorry I hurt you as a vampire. I can't do anything to change that. But I'm better now. And it's for good."

"How can I be sure?"

"Vampire me and regular me have one thing in common. We want to protect you. So, if I thought there was any possibility of me vamping out again, I would leave you. The first time I got the cure, I still felt overly protective of you. That whole year, didn't you notice?"

"You've always been protective of me," Sam pointed out.

"But come on? You didn't notice that it was a little ratcheted up."

"I thought it had to do with Dad's death. And what he told you," Sam admitted.

"It started before then, though. I felt like if something happened to you, I would die or go crazy or something. I never wanted you out of my sight. I could push it down, though. Now, of course, I still want to protect you. But, I'm not crazy with it. The cure is permanent. I'm sure."

"I think it's going to take me a while to not be afraid of you. Last time I lied and just said I was over it. I'm not going to do that this time," Sam said.

"Good. I don't want you to. We'll get through this, but we have to be honest with each other. If we're going to fight two angels, we can't be fighting each other."

"Sounds good," Sam agreed. "We'll take it one step at a time."

"Not to change the subject, but I've been wondering, do you remember being dead?" Dean asked.

"No. I remember Andy stabbing me with the poker and our conversation afterward, but then nothing until Yellow Eyes."

"Guess I have to wait until I die to find out about the after life like everybody else, then."

"Guess so," Sam agreed.

SSS

Lucifer was tuned into this conversation from afar. "Oh, Sammy. You're going to remain afraid of your brother for as long as it takes. He sent Sam another nightmare. He would make sure this one was really long.

Sam was running through the woods. He wasn't sure how he got there or why. He just knew he had to keep running. He was running from Dean. That much he knew for sure.

Dean grabbed him from behind. "Where are you going, Sammy?"

"Dean, please, just let me go."

"Why are you always trying to leave me, Sam" Dean asked. "Well, I can cure you of that." Dean pulled out a gun and shot Sam in the leg. Sam screamed with the pain and fell to the ground. "I'm sorry, Sammy, but you've left me no choice."

Dean bent over and put his hands under Sam's shoulders and started dragging him back. They reached a cabin and Dean pushed him in. Sam was confronted by all those teenagers from Dean's nest.

Then Sam remembered. Those teenagers were a dream. This was a dream. He woke himself up.

Lucifer was shocked. Nobody had escaped one of his dreams before. Sam would be a real prize. And somehow, some way, he would get him.

The End.


End file.
